BP announces enhanced drilling standards in the Gulf of Mexico
There are online reports claiming that the Macondo well is leaking and BP has responded with boats and boom. None of this is true. The well was capped on July 15th, 2010, when all oil flow was stopped, and finally cemented and sealed on Sept 19th, 2010. The well is monitored.
Last week, the US Coast Guard asked several operators with assets in the area of Green Canyon block 504 to investigate a sheen that had been sighted. BP and others did so, and based on our review, it does not appear that the sheen was from any BP source.
On August 16th, BP reported to the National Response Center a produced water sheen in the vicinity of the Thunder Horse platform. The volume was extremely small, and came from the platform’s produced water processing. Thunder Horse operations were unaffected, and adjustments have been made to the produced water systems.
Neither of these latter events was in the vicinity of the Macondo well, Mississippi Canyon Block 252. Thunder Horse is about 40 miles south of the Macondo well and the Green Canyon block is about 180 miles southwest.
In summary
- Macondo is sealed, it is secure.
- BP and other operators investigated a sheen in Green Canyon; based on the initial investigation, it does not appear that the sheen was from a BP source.
- Thunder Horse had a minor sheen of 0.000108 US gals (0.00040882 litres) from a produced water stream on Aug 16th. Produced water operational adjustments were made, and BP appropriately reported the event. The platform is operating normally.
