BP Relied on Cheaper Wells
According to a Wall Street Journal analysis of federal data and a June 19 report from the publication, in recent years BP used a well design that has been called "risky" by Congressional investigators in more than one out of three of its deepwater wells in the Gulf of Mexico, significantly more often than most peers. The design, called "long string" was used on the well that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20. The only other major well design, which is more expensive, includes more safeguards against a natural-gas blowout of the kind that destroyed the Deepwater Horizon. (Source: The Wall Street Journal)
GOM Well Fire Addressed
Callon Petroleum Co. reported that all equipment and manpower were in place to bring the fire on its South Marsh Island Block 261 well in the Gulf of Mexico under control. Sunday afternoon Callon experienced a natural gas blowout while drilling the No. 2 test well at Block 261, located about 70 miles south of Lafayette, La. At the time of the incident all personnel were safely evacuated from R & B Falcon Corp. R & B Falcon/Cliffs Drilling Rig No. 153, which was drilling the well. Adverse weather prevented re-boarding of the drilling rig until Wednesday.
