Why everyone is stalling.

The bottom casing of the original well is a 9 5/8" diameter pipe, as are BOTH of the relief wells.

Oil and Methane are escaping AROUND the pipe casing at substantial pressure and carrying particulate matter which is further sandblasting and eroding the area OUTSIDE of the pipe casing.  IF that part of the pipe is still connected to the riser, and that seems to me very improbable,  there are thousands of feet of pipe whipping around inside the borehole like a pinata in a maelstrom.  More likely most of it broke off weeks ago and every time more breaks, more oil begins to leak.

Assuming the pipe is still there, ant that assumption has a near-zero probability in my mind,  AND that both of the relief wells actually find the original pipe which, because BP used 6 centering plugs instead of the 21 recommended, is NOT being firmly held in the center of the opening, it is unlikely that they can penetrate it because it is floating and unstable.

IF it is even still connected to the riser, and that seems to me very improbable,  there are thousands of feet of pipe whipping around inside the borehole like a pinata in a maelstrom.  More likely most of it broke off weeks ago and every time more breaks, more oil begins to leak.

Even if they plugged the riser, the amount of oil leaking from AROUND it cannot be contained because the diameter of the leak is greater than the combined diameters of both relief wells. What will probably happen instead is when a relief well gets close to the borehole, the main bore will simply collapse and blow out completely because the loss rate from ONE leak right this second is 17,000 gallons a SECOND and nothing will stop it.

And at the very same time, the relief well will explode because drilling mud cannot handle the pressure.  A short time later the seafloor will rupture.

Follow me at http://drtom.posterous.com\ and my brilliant and tolerant friend at http://planetearthandhumanity.blogspot.com/

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."
- President Thomas Jefferson

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance." - Cicero - 55 BC

Posted via email from Thus knowledge flows like water