Static Kill

ON THE GULF OF MEXICO — BP on Tuesday embarked on an operation to seal the biggest offshore oil leak in U.S. history, forcing mud down the throat of its blown-out well using a tactic known as "static kill" or a "bullheading."

As a sign that everything was going as planned, in the first 90 minutes of the procedure, the pressure in the well dropped quickly , wellsite leader Bobby Bolton told The Associated Press. The vessel being used to pump in the mud is Q4000. Bolton told the AP that the procedure was still going well.

"Pressure is down and appears to be stabilizing," he said.

It was assumed that work could be complete by Tuesday night or Wednesday, though BP said it may continue through Thursday. The actual success will be known only after a week, if the well is choked properly.

The 122 crew members onboard Q4000 were excited to be a part of the final resolution to a drama, that started with the April 20 explosion on the offshore drilling rig Deepwater Horizon.

"I'm very confident we'll be able to kill this well. It's been one magical time trying to get this thing plugged", Schultz said onboard the vessel. He is on his second 28 day tour, since the spill started.

As a temporary measure, a 75 ton cap was placed in July on the well to keep the oil from spilling. However, BP and the Coast Guard, with a column of heavy drilling mud and cement, want to plug up the hole more securely.
The static kill involves slowly pumping mud down lines running from a ship to the top of the ruptured well a mile below. BP said that may be enough by itself to seal the well.

But retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, said the gusher will have to be plugged up from two directions, to be safe. He said the 18,000-foot relief well will be used to execute a "bottom kill" to inject mud and cement into the bedrock 2.5 miles below sea-floor.