BP Oil Relief Well Update

kokonut said:
Ahem.
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28hcxv5.jpg
 
Steinhauer said:
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/06/10/relief.well.bp.pdf

Are there any geologists on the forums? If so, I have a question about what is filling the cavity that I am sure the oil leak is creating under all those sediment layers?
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It's not filling cavity like oil is coming from somewhere else or other liquids are replacing the oil. Remember, oil is under extreme pressure and when pressure is released oil expands in the cavity. Liquid is compressible. This is the same idea with water in a confined aquifer with overlying and underlying impermeable layers creating water pressure. You tap a well into it, pressure is released and the water comes out like an artesian well.
 
I'm not a geologist but from what I know - like every other cavity... the water (or other liquid) will seep in or it will eventually collapse. Every situation is different depending on geological formation, location, and depth.

In this case of deepwater oil drilling.... normally - the oil reservoir is on top of water and on top of oil is a pocket of gas. I believe the common method is injecting in water or CO2 while pumping out of oil for pressure equalization purpose in order to "suck it dry".
 
Jiro said:
I'm not a geologist but from what I know - like every other cavity... the water (or other liquid) will seep in or it will eventually collapse. Every situation is different depending on geological formation, location, and depth.

In this case of deepwater oil drilling.... normally - the oil reservoir is on top of water and on top of oil is a pocket of gas. I believe the common method is injecting in water or CO2 while pumping out of oil for pressure equalization purpose in order to "suck it dry".
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The reservoir is at 18,000 feet beneath the ocean floor. Isn't the pressure from the sediment layers causing the artesian effect?

Is it possible for the sea floor to sink lower the more oil is forced out?
I understand that stopping the leak is a lot like trying to stop a fire hose by using a softball. Too much pressure is forcing water out and no way a softball would stop a fire house.

The two relief wells are being drilled to reduce pressure - but what if the relief wells end up like the original leak?
 
Steinhauer said:
The reservoir is at 18,000 feet beneath the ocean floor. Isn't the pressure from the sediment layers causing the artesian effect?

Is it possible for the sea floor to sink lower the more oil is forced out?
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Yes, it is possible. The pressure of oil holding up what's above it and around it. But that'll take awhile like years should it collapse. There's a huge volume of oil down there.
 
(((sighs))) then this very well has the potential of being an extinction level event.
 
Steinhauer said:
The reservoir is at 18,000 feet beneath the ocean floor. Isn't the pressure from the sediment layers causing the artesian effect?
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yes. our oil extraction technology has gotten advanced enough to extract more oil than before. For example - oil driller from 20 years ago would be able to extract 10 million barrels of oil in this oil reservoir. now we can extract probably 50 million barrels in same oil reservoir because of artificial artesian effect (by injecting CO2 or water).

Steinhauer said:
Is it possible for the sea floor to sink lower the more oil is forced out?
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yes. We've already seen this many times - the sinkhole. But hey... there is always a constant seismic activity so it'll collapse anyway on its own.
 
Key word is porosity. Or voids where liquids fill within the cracks or small interstitial spaces in a sedimentary layer.
 
kokonut said:
Key word is porosity. Or voids where liquids fill within the cracks or small interstitial spaces in a sedimentary layer.
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yep. hence - "Every situation is different depending on geological formation, location, and depth." in my previous post. The oil company will use the appropriate method (or even a new method) depending on situation.
 
Steinhauer said:
(((sighs))) then this very well has the potential of being an extinction level event.
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Not that kind of collapse.

This is what oil looks like in a porous sedimentary layer. The filling of cracks or interstitial pores.

fig25.gif
 
Steinhauer said:
(((sighs))) then this very well has the potential of being an extinction level event.
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Just like water in an aquifer, you remove the liquid out that's under pressure and when there is upward pressure to hold up the sedimentary layer above it has to sink downward. Here's a picture I've been looking for on the warnings of land subsidence for over-drawing water from an aquifer. However, oil is much deeper than water and so the effects won't be as pronounced but it can be under the right circumstances if you are working with extremely porous geologic layer like limestone and sandstone combination.

subsidence_poland_usgs.jpg
 
I am not trying to make religious references by this post, but simply pointing out something I read about the great flood in the KJV of the Bible.

The Bible describes waters rising from "the deep". Now, my question is, are there oceans of water trapped under the sea floor?
 
Steinhauer said:
I am not trying to make religious references by this post, but simply pointing out something I read about the great flood in the KJV of the Bible.

The Bible describes waters rising from "the deep". Now, my question is, are there oceans of water trapped under the sea floor?
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yes. here and there.
 
netrox said:
I don't understand the picture at all.
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it's showing you the effect of land subsistence. this is what happens when ground water was excessively pumped out. The ground sinks gradually. As you can see - the top is 1925. middle is 1955. bottom is 1977. that's how far the ground sank.

this is bad because it's a permanent reduction of our natural aquifer's storage capacity.... which leads to less availability of drinkable water... which leads to drought...
 
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