- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Coaching Changes
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
Relief Well Question?
Posted on 5/28/10 at 11:23 am
Posted on 5/28/10 at 11:23 am
I see that the planned intersection depth for the relief wells are 18,000 ft below the sea floor. My question is why does it have to intersect so deep? Why couldn't they have intersected at 5,000-10,000 feet for a quicker fix? Or could they have done one shallow for a temporary stoppage, and the 2nd all the way down to 18,000 ft? After listening to T Boone Pickens on CNN last night, he seems to think that the relief wells are the only fix that will work. Potentially 1-2 months before they even stop it is frightening to say the least.
I am sure there is a logical explanation, I just can't seem to find it anywhere, and I know little to nothing about these things. TIA
I am sure there is a logical explanation, I just can't seem to find it anywhere, and I know little to nothing about these things. TIA
2
Posted on 5/28/10 at 11:27 am to MC123
any chance you could link to where that diagram is so we can get a better look?
Thanks.
Thanks.
Posted on 5/28/10 at 11:28 am to RummelTiger
Posted on 5/28/10 at 11:30 am to MC123
I'll give this a go although I'm not an Oil engineer.
The top Kill is like pumping into the top of a T fitting. The BOP is the T. They are trying to get the mud to flow the path of MOST resistance while the other end of the T is open. (Broken riser). If this does not work, it stands to reason you must close off the T (which would be the kill lines used on the BOP).
Now you have the sub surface end and the riser. If you can get deep you can use the path of the flow and the resistance of the well to your advantage in order to attempt a clog.
The top Kill is like pumping into the top of a T fitting. The BOP is the T. They are trying to get the mud to flow the path of MOST resistance while the other end of the T is open. (Broken riser). If this does not work, it stands to reason you must close off the T (which would be the kill lines used on the BOP).
Now you have the sub surface end and the riser. If you can get deep you can use the path of the flow and the resistance of the well to your advantage in order to attempt a clog.
Posted on 5/28/10 at 11:31 am to MC123
Posted on 5/28/10 at 11:32 am to oilfieldtiger
How close am I Oil Field Tiger?
Posted on 5/28/10 at 11:34 am to MoreOrLes
it's a different kind of problem. w/ the relief well, you're going to kill it from bottom, but have to take into account that you can't do anything about the 5000' of SW on top of you.
Posted on 5/28/10 at 11:35 am to oilfieldtiger
In its simplest terms isnt pumping with the flow from underneath the big advantage?
Posted on 5/28/10 at 11:51 am to oilfieldtiger
quote:
i'm obviously being very simplistic here to illustrate the point
that was simplistic? i am glad i am not an engineer! Could a temporary shallower relief well have even slowed it down until the permanent well is completed? Are both wells required for the kill, or is the 2nd just a redundant safety mechanism?
Posted on 5/28/10 at 12:01 pm to MC123
Think of it like this. You have a long tube, like a straw with oil and gas rushing up to the top. The idea is to fill that tube with mud that's heavy enough to push down harder than the oil is being pushed up.
If you put the mud in the top, most of it just gets blown out of the hole. Until the the tube is full, the column isn't heavy enough to stop the flow. So, you have to keep putting mud in hoping that enough of it sinks past the upcoming oil and gas to eventually fill the entire hole.
If you put the mud in from the bottom, the mud doesn't get lifted up, and it doesn't have to sink against the upward flow. It simply sits on the bottom. As you pump more mud, it fills up from the bottom to top.
If you put the mud in the top, most of it just gets blown out of the hole. Until the the tube is full, the column isn't heavy enough to stop the flow. So, you have to keep putting mud in hoping that enough of it sinks past the upcoming oil and gas to eventually fill the entire hole.
If you put the mud in from the bottom, the mud doesn't get lifted up, and it doesn't have to sink against the upward flow. It simply sits on the bottom. As you pump more mud, it fills up from the bottom to top.
Posted on 5/28/10 at 1:29 pm to Taxing Authority
quote:
Think of it like this. You have a long tube, like a straw with oil and gas rushing up to the top. The idea is to fill that tube with mud that's heavy enough to push down harder than the oil is being pushed up. If you put the mud in the top, most of it just gets blown out of the hole. Until the the tube is full, the column isn't heavy enough to stop the flow. So, you have to keep putting mud in hoping that enough of it sinks past the upcoming oil and gas to eventually fill the entire hole. If you put the mud in from the bottom, the mud doesn't get lifted up, and it doesn't have to sink against the upward flow. It simply sits on the bottom. As you pump more mud, it fills up from the bottom to top.
"Well" put. No pun intended.
Page 1 of 1
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News