North Sea oil well still unstable (Statoil)

Source: BBC

¬snip¬

The Norwegian operators, Statoil, said it could be days until the Gulfaks C well can be safely capped.

¬snip¬

Tonnes of specialist drilling mud have been pumped into the Gulfaks well in a bid to contain pressure, and Statoil is attempting to cap the well with cement.

Statoil spokesman Gisle Johanson said the well was now more stable, but it may not be safely plugged for several more days - in what has been an unusually long struggle to bring a North Sea well under control.

He said: "The pressure is still unstable, but the situation has not worsened. We are continuing to work to normalise the situation."

He added that no leaks had so far been detected and the company "deems the risk of a blowout as very small."


Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/10171137.stm

Let us hope this well is able to be plugged with no problems.

how conditions in the North Sea compare with your Gulf. The North Sea can be very rough at times quite apart from being notoriously cold. I appreciate we don't get your hurricane conditions.

The Gulf well is at 5,000 feet; Gullfaks C is in 217m, or about 700 feet. Which means the pressures they're dealing with are very different.

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

source: http://www.petro.no/modules/module_123/proxy.asp?C=14&I=14115&D=2
(in Norwegian)

Drillpipe acts like a 'cork' at the moment, according to a spokesman. They anticipate it's going to be a complicated operation to get it free again, may have to be blown up.
They have stopped injecting mud now and are preparing to fill the well with cement.

In the meantime, Statoil will likely be subject to a police investigation into the handling of the Gullfaks incident.

Celefin

And if Statoil is find guilty in neglessing their duty, to safeguard the well, heads will be rolling and stiff fines given Statoil... And maybe a new set of standards, and some new rules/laws wil be implented to safeguard that Statoil, or anyone else on the norwigian sockel is doing the same... In Norway we do have LAWS, who are not writen by the big oil and gas companies, But by law makers, who for the most part have shown to be less corrupt than in many other country's And in the few instanses that it have been known, the consequenses from the knowlegde have been damaging for they who have been doing it.. Not so few of them had been fired, and even lost credibility for a period of time...

Diclotican

>>>>>>>>
In Norway we do have LAWS, who are not writen by the big oil and gas companies,
<<<<<<<<

Indeed, at least to a far higher degree than in most other countries.
And it's the only country where the -country- has gotten rich due to its oil wealth, not just some shareholders and execs.

In case it sounded like it, I didn't mean to do Norway-bashing, quite the contrary.
All that negative information is freely available after all and not shrouded in secrecy as in the US.

Regards ;)

Celefin

WE as an country have been blessed (if I can use that word) with politicans, who long before the riches of the north sea was discovered was using our wealth to make Norway a better place to be... The welfare system we have to day, have their infancy as of late 1800s, and have been build up, from time to time, to be one of the best in the world.. NOT to say its perfect, but better than many others have.. And as you point out, not a country where the oil have been going to shareholdes and exces alone... But of course, they have also got some of the money, but compared to many other country we have managed to keep a lot of it to the public purce rather than the personal purse... And the most intersting part is that from the conservatives, to the far left, the idea of a wel fare system is in agreement in all parties.. But it is more in the details the difference is, not in the idea of a system where everyone should have their fair share, and where everyone who need help should get it (not perfect, but we are on our way)

It might be becouse Norway is a land of laws, have been that since time imortal, and it was a land of laws, when it was first discovered, the oil in the north sea...

Most of the informations is free avaiable, and should also be that, mostly becouse that is the right thing to do.. Pepole need to be educated about the world, rather that the opposite. And all the cloak and dagger policy that is the US of today, wil harm anyone... Even the peopole in power, becouse they dosen't have the knowlegde to do the right thing...

Diclotican