Wednesday, June 2, 2010

PIPE CUTTING or PIPE SMOKING? HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED TODAY...

A diamond-edged saw got stuck in a thick pipe on a blown-out well at the bottom of the Gulf. Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said the goal was to free the saw and finish the cut later in the day. A mile underwater, robot subs wielded tools akin to oversized garden shears to break away part of the broken riser pipe so engineers can then position a cap over the well's opening. Even if it succeeds, it will temporarily increase the huge leak's flow by 20 percent — at least 100,000 gallons more a day. That's on top of the estimated 500,000 to 1 million gallons gushing out already. BP's best chance to actually plug the leak rests with a pair of relief wells. Those won't likely be completed until August.

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