Serious problem with containment concept:
"Biloxi, Mississippi (CNN) -- The effort to place a massive containment dome over a gushing underwater wellhead in the Gulf of Mexico was dealt a setback when a large volume of hydrates -- icelike crystals that form when gas combines with water -- accumulated inside the vessel, a BP official said Saturday.
The dome was moved off to the side of the wellhead and is resting on the seabed while crews work to overcome the challenge, a process expected to take at least two days, BP's chief operations officer Doug Suttles said.
Suttles declined to call it a failed operation but said "What we attempted to do last night didn't work."
Suttles said the gas hydrates are lighter than water and, as a result, made the dome buoyant. The crystals also blocked the top of the dome, which would prevent oil from being funneled up to a drill ship.
"We did anticipate hydrates being a problem, but not this significant [of one]," he said.
Two options officials are looking at to resolve the problem are heating the dome or adding methanol to dissolve the hydrates, Suttles said, adding that they are continuing to assess other methods to capturing the oil."
Video of containment problem at:
http://us.cnn.com/2010/US/05/08/gulf...ill/index.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/deepwaterhorizonresponse/
From the BBC:
"Problems with containment box halt US Gulf oil leak fix
... Although the rig was operated by Transocean, it was leased by BP, which is responsible for cleaning the 3 million gallons that have so far leaked, creating a slick covering about 2,000 sq miles (5,200 sq km).
The company hopes the 98-tonne containment device, once operational, will allow it to collect oil leaking out of the well while it attempts to stop the leak altogether by drilling relief wells nearby.
On Friday, remote-controlled submersibles guided the 40ft (12m) funnel above the wellhead, 5,000 ft (1,500m) below the surface. The technology has only ever been used a few times in shallow waters.
BP initially said everything appeared to be going as planned, but on Saturday it said flammable gas hydrates - crystalline water-based solids physically resembling ice - had accumulated inside the device.
"As we were placing the dome over the leak source a large volume of hydrates formed inside the top of the dome, requiring us to move the dome to the side of the leak point," Mr Suttles told reporters in Robert, Louisiana.
"The dome is currently sitting on the seabed while we evaluate options to deal with the hydrate issue. We believe that it'll probably take the next two days to look for opportunities to overcome this challenge."
These could include using hot water to heat up the hydrates at the ocean floor, or using hydrocarbons like methanol to thin them out.
Doug Suttles, BP, explains the problem with the 'funnel'
"I wouldn't say it's failed yet," Mr Suttles added. "What I would say is what we attempted to do last night didn't work."
If the funnel fails to work, BP faces the prospect of drilling a relief well nearby to cut off the leaky oil well, which could take two to three months."
"A sheen of oil began arriving on barrier islands off the coast of Louisiana last week, and crews have been laying inflatable booms, spraying chemical dispersants and setting fire to the slick to try to keep it from coming ashore.
The US Coast Guard and BP said on Saturday that about 2.1 million gallons of an oil-water mix had been collected, about 10% of which was oil.
More than 160 miles (257 km) of booms had been put out and crews had used nearly 275,000 gallons of dispersants, they added.
Fears are growing that sea life may have been severely affected in the area, which includes vital spawning grounds for fish, shrimp and crabs."
Winds are up from the SE, may act to keep the plume out of the Loop Current for the time being.
Weather forecast for area:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lix/?n=embriefing