Ocean Oil
Question about the oil leak in the ocean?
Where is the pressure coming from that is pushing the oil out of the bottom of the ocean? Is it the ocean floor pushing down? And how much pressure? Seems to me that they could stop the flow if they pumped some liquid gas around the break and freeze the oil – then put a cap on the pipe.
The pressure is derived from two or three sources depending on the unknown specifics of this one oil accumulation.
They are:
1. Pressure from massive amounts of water which are flowing within the same reservoir aquifer as the oil accumulation. This water is derived from the de-watering of shales and other sediments which ultimately connect to land elsewhere in the basin. This is called “water drive” and results in the greatest recovery (30-60%)of the oil in place.
2. Gas contained in solution within the oil. This is like the carbon dioxide within a Coke bottle and the gas breaks out of solution when the pressure is relieved and oil is lifted with it. All oils contain different amounts of dissolved gas ranging from 250 SCF (Standard Cubic Feet per barrel) of oil to as high as 2000 SCF. This is called “solution gas drive” with 5-15% recovery of oil.
3. Gas contained within a segregated gas column or “gas cap” associated with the oil accumulation. This means that when the oil is withdrawn, the gas cap expands in the down dip position of the oil column and pressurizes the oil layer below it. The oil column will continue to produce until the oil leg is completely displaced to a position below the producing well’s producing perforations. This is called a Gas Cap drive mechanism with 10-20% Recovery of in place oil.
I hope this helps. The amount of gas an oil wil contain is directly related to the type of oil, the reservoir temperature and the burial history of the accumulation.
Bottom Hole Reservoir Pressure = about 14,976 psia (16.5 lb mud or o.832 psi/foot kill pressure was required)
Effective Hydrostatic Pressure working against the well flow at Ocean botton = 2200 psi (0.442 psi/foot X 5000 feet)
Effective Net Reservoir Pressure = about 12,776 psi
Effective Net Flowing Pressure (a guess) = 2000 psi
Apparently the Riser is a 9 inch OD and they have been successful inserting a 7 inch OD casing string into the Riser which will reduce the flow by having the effective diameter of the flowing pipe reduced to the annulus or space between the 2 strings of pipe (now only 1 inch radial as opposed to 8 3/4 inch radial). By creating a vacuum on the 7 inch string at surface, they can reduce the effective flowing pressure on even that 1 inch radial annulus and further reduce the flow of oil up that annulus.
This should allow the well to effectively flow to surface in the 7 inch pipe and fill tankers at surface and effectively eliminate or substantially reduce (by 19 fold) the flow of oil. We will see over the next few days whether this is going to work. If the pipe has successfully been inserted, it should work well. I am going to bet that the flow rate is actually more like 10-20,000 barrels per day as opposed to the 5,000 reported.
Sonic 2 Music: Oil Ocean Zone
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