Gulf oil spill: The Halliburton connection

LA Times ^ | April 30, 2010 | Margot Roosevelt and Jill Leovy

[pingman]

It ain’t concrete, it’s just a cementicious slurry without aggregate rock. Very pump-able, and fast setting. However, the set up time is affected by temperature and pressure and other down-hole conditions that are hard to gauge from the surface.

One of my wells was ruined by unhardened “green” cement and an over-anxious crew. They tipped the bit in-hole to drill out the residual cement plug. The heat generated by the bit cured the cement around the bit and drill pipe, locking it up.

They dicked around for three weeks trying to un-stick the bit, and finally parted the drill pipe, leaving $1 Million worth of gear lost in the hole forever.

Moral of story: sh!t happens in the oil patch, rarely intentionally, but always costly.

[okkev68]

SWAT corp is one of the leading environmental spill cleanup companies in Canada. This could be what they were meaning. Of course the administration would know that the conspiracy theory community would take it and run with it and are probably sitting back having a good laugh.

Having said that, I work for the company that made the BOP’s for this rig. There are just too many failsafes on the rig and in the BOP for a complete failure like this to happen. Plus, too many coincidences with a finished well being shut in exploding on earth day, obama expanding offshore drilling, South Korean owned rig, etc...

There is more to this story but I doubt we will ever know exactly what happened.

[IMR 4350]

“Cementing the drill into place”
Quite reading right there because you have an idiot for a reporter.
Cementing a drill into place is the last thing you want to do.
You cement cement the casing into place, not the drill string.

[Thermalseeker]

It ain’t concrete...

Yeah, I didn't figure it would be the same as caisson concrete considering where it was being poured.

Moral of story: sh!t happens in the oil patch, rarely intentionally, but always costly.

True pretty much of any construction project to one degree or another. The complications that could arise from trying to pour cement 5000' below the surface are many. I can hardly fathom the costs associated with operating a rig like that.

[pingman]

See post #21, fer sure.

[phockthis]

If N. Korea did this, they will bragg soon enough

[JimRed]

The Greenies have infiltrated Haliburton and set the blowout charge?

[Desdemona]

Interesting comments on this thread. Yet a further demonstration of incompetence if true. There should be a full sonar/sub net in the gulf if torpedoes are an issue.

I am curious, though, as to what other companies/corporations/conglomerates offer the same services that Halliburton does. I was under the impression that Halliburton does some rather unique things in the petro/gas/oil world.

[Charles Martel]

As a Jewess in the US, I believe the gulf oil platform was sunk by a North Korean Stealth Torpedo, the 2nd test of the same type that they used to take out the South Korean Navy ship last month.

Wouldn't need to be particularly stealthy - nobody on a floating oil rig in the Gulf would be expecting an attack of that sort. Although the probabilities still favor an accident scenario, Biden did warn that foreign powers would test Obama. Can't really dismiss any possibilities at this point.

[JimRed]

FYI, the link to the EU Times activated my antivirus software and warned of a possible security breach.

[IMR 4350]

Being 20 hrs since the cementing, it sounds like they were circulating for 24 hrs and didn't have the string all the way down the hole.
They’ve said they were going to do a temp P&A so they were probably going to clean up the casing before they set the plug.
Betcha they didn't have as heavy of mud as when they were drilling.

[IrishPennant]

Waxman and Stupak. There’s a pair that would beat a full house any day.

This being Derby Day could we use another metaphor? They win by a nose.

[tsomer]

Pingman,

Thanks for your insights. I’m completely ignorant on the industry, but a question:

Could a pipe, or pipes be sunk to the leak to recover at least some of that oil?

[6SJ7]

Is it even possible for the cement to set in 20 hours, the time frame givien in the article?

Anytime I've worked with cement, the stuff usually sets about 5 minutes after I finally get it mixed!

[Ditter]

My first thought was Greenies but Muzzies could have done it as well. I really hate to think these thoughts, like the black repair man that came to fix my dishwasher told me
“George Bush blew up the NO levees”. (Thinking thoughts like this make me feel stupid)

[pingman]

I don’t know about that. The best immediate mitigation strategy is to close off the BOP and repair the leak.

[backwoods-engineer]

To liberal harpies Margot and Jill: Haliburton is the best at what they do. I have seen it personally. Don't doubt it. And it wasn't Bush or Cheney's fault, regardless of what your template says. Get your granny panties out of a bunch and look at the facts.

Also, I sincerely believe the Deepwater Horizon was sabotaged or attacked.

[Desdemona]

Worldwide, do any other companies do what Halliburton does?

[Oldeconomybuyer]

I sincerely believe the Deepwater Horizon was sabotaged or attacked.

I agree.

[pingman]

Precious few.