Work to stem Elgin gas release begins
TOTAL has informed the Department of Energy and Climate Change that their dynamic kill operation to try to stop the gas release from the Elgin…
TOTAL has informed the Department of Energy and Climate Change that their dynamic kill operation to try to stop the gas release from the Elgin well began this morning.
DECC have been working closely with TOTAL and gave environmental consent to the company earlier in May to pump heavy mud into the well via a temporary pipeline connected to the G4 wellhead from the main support vessel, the West Phoenix semi-submersible drilling rig.
It is expected the pumping operation followed by a period of monitoring could take several days depending on conditions.
The dynamic kill is the quickest option to control the release. Work on another option to drill a relief well is already underway.
A Department of Energy and Climate Change spokesman said: “We continue to monitor the situation closely and hope this operation successfully stops the gas release.”
More on Elgin
- Elgin gas released stopped (16 May 2012)
- Operation to stop gas release from Elgin well given environmental go-ahead (3 May 2012)
- Statement: Elgin relief well given go-ahead (18 April 2012)
- Government Interest Group (11 April 2012)
- Update (5 April 2012)
- Elgin platform flare is out (31 March 2012)
- Government to start quicker publication of oil spill data (30 March 2012)
- Update (29 March 2012)
- Update (26 March 2012)
- Oil Pollution Emergency Plan for the Elgin gas field published by DECC (23 January 2012)