Question by Matt: How is the “Top Kill” going to allow a concrete plug to seal the leak?
My understanding of the “Top Kill” solution to the oil leak is that the drilling mud that is being pumped into the blow off preventer prevents the oil from leaking out just by pushing it down. Then a concrete plug can seal the hole.
They say that if it works, we should see mud instead of oil leaking out of the blow off preventer. If that’s the case, since the pressure is the same (or actually a little higher) than the oil pressure was, how does that make it easier to put a concrete plug into the blow off preventer? Won’t the problem be the same as it is now?
Best answer:
Answer by Mother Hubbard
It buys time. More spill, no retaliation. No action. It’s working.
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One Response
Because the drilling mud is heaver than the oil coming from the well, the idea is that the mud will push the oil back down. They keep pumping in mud, some of which flows out the busted top of the well, pushing the oil further and further down, creating a column of mud that counterbalances the pressure in the well.
Since the well has been running wild for over a month now, the pressure in the well has dropped considerably. Until the pressure has dropped, “top kill” had no chance.
Now they feel that the pressure is low enough that they can pump mud into the well and push the oil down. When they reach a point that the pressure from the mud balances the pressure from the well, they have a stable system where there is no flow either way. Now they can inject concrete and allow it to set, sealing the well