By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Sept. 13 -- BP PLC resumed drilling a relief well to intercept the deepwater Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico using Transocean Ltd.’s semisubmersible Development Driller III at 1:40 p.m. CDT on Sept. 13 following installation of a lockdown sleeve.
The crew drilling the relief well has about 50 ft left to go before the relief well reaches the intercept target with the Macondo well on Mississippi Canyon Block 252. Macondo is in 5,000 ft of water.
Relief well operations will consist of alternating drilling with ranging runs. Following the intercept, heavy drilling mud and cement will be pumped into the annulus at the bottom of the Macondo well, BP said.
An Apr. 20 blowout of the Macondo well resulted in an explosion and fire on Transocean’s Deepwater Horizon, killing 11 crew members. The semi sank on Apr. 22, and a massive oil spill resulted in the gulf.
US Government Accountability Office.
