New Effort Against Oil: Riser Package Cap

Preparations are ongoing for deployment of the lower marine riser package (LMRP) cap containment system. Remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) are engaged in preliminary operations, including preparing for operations to cut through and separate the damaged riser from the LMRP at the top of the Deepwater Horizon's failed blow-out preventer (BOP).

Deployment of the system will involve connecting the containment cap to a riser from the Discoverer Enterprise drillship and then placing it over the LMRP, with the intention of capturing most of the oil and gas flowing from the well and transporting it to the drillship on the surface.

All of these operations, including the cutting of the riser, are complex, involve risks and uncertainties, and have to be carried out by ROVs at 5,000 feet under water. Systems such as the LMRP containment cap have never before been deployed at these depths and conditions, and their efficiency and ability to contain the oil and gas cannot be assured. It is currently anticipated that attachment of the LMRP cap will be attempted later this week; however, operational delays could impact anticipated timeframes.

Preparations to use the Discoverer Enterprise to deploy the LMRP cap and the intended severing of the damaged riser mean that the riser insertion tube tool, previously deployed, will not be reinserted into the main leak at the end of the riser.

Work on the first relief well, which started on 2nd May, continues and it has currently reached a depth of 12,090 feet. Work on the second relief well, which started on 16th May, had reached a depth of 8,576 feet before drilling was temporarily suspended on May 26. Drilling operations on the second relief well resumed on 30th May. Both wells are still estimated to take around three months to complete from commencement of drilling.

NOAA continues to prepare daily trajectories for the nearshore and offshore oil. In the nearshore zone, moderate south to southwest winds are forecast for the upcoming week at 5-10 kts. These winds may begin moving oil that has been tending to the southwest from the source towards the Delta.

The threat to shorelines in Breton and Chandeleur Sounds, will be reduced. But, model results indicate that oil may move north to threaten the barrier islands off Mississippi and Alabama later in the forecast period.

In the offshore zone, satellite imagery analysis continues to show a narrow band of oil to the SE of the main slick extending to approximately 27.3 degrees north. Recent overflights to this region, and ship observations reported only non contiguous, colorless sheens. Trajectories for observed oil within this region suggest some of these scattered sheens will continue to be entrained into the clockwise eddy that has detached from the Loop Current.