BP, which temporarily shut down its recently installed oil capturing mechanism during a Sunday thunderstorm, said Monday that it would have to disconnect the device in the event of a hurricane.The containment cap is attached to a tanker ship, and such ships do not typically ride out Gulf hurricanes, which can create waves of up to 100 feet tall, according to federal records.
In a Monday news conference, Kent Wells, vice president in charge of exploration for well owner BP PLC, said the company was working on a new device that would make the disconnection and reconnection process easier. It could enable the company to limit the flow of oil somewhat
while the ship is gone, he said."We're looking to disconnect in a hurricane," Wells said. "We're trying to minimize the length of time we have to disconnect. We're still looking at some options that would allow us to stay longer and reduce that downtime."
He said that the company hoped to have the new, easier-to-connect device in place by the end of June.
"I wouldn't want to say we would have the ability to close it off when we disconnect," Wells said, referring to the flow coming from the well.
He did not say how many days before a storm the tanker ship would have
to disconnect. He said the new design "gives us the flexibility (to disconnect) during hurricane season.""That's the big difference between the hurricane season option and what we are using today," Wells said.
"Yesterday, we had a thunderstorm come through. The winds completely changed. We had to change the position of the vessel," Wells said. "We had to do a temporary shutdown."
In remarks Monday afternoon, President Obama said he was pushing BP to make sure "we have thought through contingencies in case there is an emergency or a hurricane so that these mechanisms are not disrupted and that there's a lot of redundancy built in."
Source:
Alabama.com (al.com). "BP would disconnect oil capturing mechanism in event of hurricane", accessed June 7, 2010
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