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BP succeeds in second attempt at inserting tube in damaged oil pipe


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AR2010051601510.html?hpid=topnews
Washington Post:

Sunday, May 16, 2010; 2:09 PM

BP succeeded on Sunday in its second attempt at inserting a new tube into its damaged oil pipe that has been gushing oil from the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico for three and a half weeks, according to BP and federal officials.

The four-inch wide pipe was inserted into the leaking riser, from which the majority of the flow of oil is coming. If it works, it could siphon a substantial amount of the oil leaking from the damaged well into barges and tankers floating on the surface of the sea.

The company's first effort late Saturday night succeeded initially, but the new tube got yanked out after the umbilical cord of a Remotely-Operated Vehicle got entangled with the tube's line to the surface, according to sources familiar with the project.

After workers installed the tube on the first try, which is like inserting one straw into another, gas found its way to the surface and was flared, showing that the tube had successfully funneled gas and some oil from the leak.

This is the fourth time BP has attempted to siphon off some of the oil leaking directly into the Gulf of Mexico. The first two involved steel structures, but they encountered problems with gas hydrates -- combinations of gas from the oil reservoir and sea water that form a slush-like mixture that clogged the structures' pipe openings.

To prevent a similar problem with the new tube insert, BP is pumping methanol down into the damaged riser coming out of the well. That should help prevent the formation of the gas crystals.

The company plans to pipe any oil and gas captured to the Discoverer Enterprise drillship, which is equipped to separate oil, gas and water mixture. The oil will be stored in other vessels.

Staff writer Juliet Eilperin contributed to this report
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