BP spuds relief well

Lateral thinking: BP senior vice president Angola offshore exploration Bob Fryar (left) and drilling & completion operations manager Charlie Holt refer to models of the LMRP and BOP stack during a press briefing at BP's crisis centre in west Houston late yesterday

Anthony Guegel

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By Anthony Guegel Noah Brenner & Anthea Pitt

 03 May 2010 00:54 GMT

BP said it spud the first of two planned relief wells to intervene in the Macondo exploration well that is leaking an estimated 5000 barrels per day into the US Gulf.



Transocean semi-submersible rig Development Driller III spud the first probe shortly after 3 pm local time yesterday, BP chief operating office Doug Suttles said today.

The spud, originally planned for late last week, had been delayed by bad weather, Suttles said, with seas approaching 17 feet during the worst period.

The effort is expected to take at between two and three months, Suttles confirmed.

The company said yesterday it is expanding efforts to cap the Macondo well, including a plan to stack an additional blowout preventer (BOP) on the bore.

The company is…

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