Tube inserted into pipe is capturing some leaking oil in Gulf but not all

By The Times-Picayune
May 16, 2010, 11:50AM BP has successfully inserted a tube into the broken pipe at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico and is collecting some, but not all, of the leaking oil, officials said. The Joint Information Center reported that the riser insertion tube tool was successfully tested and inserted into the leaking riser, capturing some amounts of oil and gas, but the test was halted temporarily when the tube was dislodged. The Joint Information Center, which includes federal agencies as well as BP officials, said that “while this is disappointing, it is not unexpected given the challenging operating environment.” The oil was stored on board the Discoverer Enterprise drill ship 5,000 feet above on the water’s surface, the JIC said. Technicians have fully inspected the system and have re-inserted the tool, the JIC said. The tool is fashioned from a 4-inch pipe and is inserted into the leaking riser, from which the majority of the flow is coming. The procedure involves inserting a 5-foot length of the tool into the end of the damaged riser from where the oil and gas is leaking. “While not collecting all of the leaking oil, this tool is an important step in reducing the amount of oil being released,” the JIC said.