Good news for once:Relief well drilling ahead of schedule

[n2doc]

Published: Thursday, June 17, 2010, 9:55 AM Updated: Thursday, June 17, 2010, 10:29 AM
Jaquetta White, The Times-Picayune

Drilling on a relief well that is expected to be the longterm solution for stopping the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is ahead of schedule but still unlikely to be completed before August, Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said Thursday.

Allen, the National Incident Commander for the spill response, said the Development Driller III is "starting to close in on the well" but he was hesitant to say that the job would be completed soon because of the numerous delays BP has encountered to date in its effort to stop or contain the oil flow.

Two relief wells, a primary and back-up, are being drilled. The plan is for the relief well to intersect with the blown out Macondo well deep beneath the sea floor and pump it will with cement to seal it.
The relief wells start about a half mile from the original site and try to meet the original well at a diagonal.

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/06/relief_well_drilling_ahead_of.html

[BrklynLiberal]

1. But there is no way of knowing how useful they are until they are done...

Makes me think of that joke about the pilot's announcement to his passengers.

"I have good news and bad news.

The Bad news: We are lost..

The Good news: We are making great time."

[n2doc]

2. This is our only realistic hope of stopping the oil

We had better all hope it works. Relief wells have stopped blowouts in the past in many cases.

[BrklynLiberal]

4. I sure hope it works...especially if there is no other answer....

[Lochloosa]

5. There is one other answer, but I don't think we want to go there.

[BrklynLiberal]

7. Looks like someone IS going there.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8582188

[zipplewrath]

3. Would love me some good news

Afraid to get my hopes up. But this sure would be good news.

[BrklynLiberal]

6. Says relief wells won't work..and nukes are the only answer..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8582188

:scared: :wow:

[DFW]

8. Nice, of course, if true. Now the bad news:

If the cleanup takes 25 years, THAT would be ahead of schedule.

[BrklynLiberal]

9. ...

:cry: