The reconnaissance mission to the Elgin complex by a team of Total experts and specialist contractors has confirmed that planning for a well intervention operation to bring the leaking G4 well under control can continue as planned.
After ensuring all necessary safety requirements had been met, the team disembarked from the helicopter and found no presence of gas on the Elgin PUQ (Process, Utilities, Quarters) platform, which is connected by a 90-metre bridge to the Well Head Platform (WHP) where the leak is located. The access routes to the WHP were also found to be free of gas. The team was able to access the rig.
The structural condition of the platform, the G4 wellhead and surrounding areas, including the rig, was found to be unchanged since the complex was evacuated on March 25th, as was the overall safety situation.
The visual inspection confirmed that the leak is coming from the G4 wellhead at WHP deck level. In parallel, a ROV (Remote Operated Vehicle) survey confirmed no underwater gas leak.
The team was also able to identify piping & hose routing options plus tie-in points for well control equipment. Specialists plan to return to the platform within the coming days to complete the survey and develop detailed plans.
Speaking shortly after returning from the platform, Wild Well Control said: “ We achieved our goals. Everything went as we would have hoped and the planned well intervention is achievable. There is certainly no showstopper to launch the well control operation.”
The reconnaissance team will now give Total management a detailed debriefing, enabling them to further develop plans for the well intervention.
At the same time, preparations are still proceeding for the drilling of a relief well and a backup relief well.
In parallel, various indications such as regular visual observations from a nearby vessel and temperature measurements seem to suggest that the gas leak rate has decreased during the last few days.
[mappress] Subsea World News Staff , April 06, 2012; Image: Total