BP (NYSE:BP) Ordered by Officials To Finish Relief Well

There has been much speculation, concern, and curiosity as to whether BP (NYSE:BP) is going to finish their relief well. Now it seems they don't have a choice, U.S. Officials have demanded the company finish it.

The reasoning of this order, was the failure of pressure testing that was done on the well. The tests failed to prove that there is no risk of oil leaking in the future, according to BP's Thad Allen, National Incident Commander. What is being determined now is how to proceed. The original plan, to pump cement and mud into the bottom of the well is now under scrutiny and may be abandoned all together.

The concern is that if the cement/mud mixture is injected into the bottom, there is a substantial risk that it could cause the seal to break and force oil out of the top. "How thick the cement barrier is between the annulus and the reservoir, we just don't know." said Allen "It might be very thin, and we go and put pressure on that and we have a problem."

The problem is a result of Allen's decision for BP to plug the well with cement from the top. According to some petroleum engineers, the better way would have been to leave the mud in place on top of the well and pump the cement in from the bottom. Rather then follow the mud with the cement on top like they did.

A retired petroleum engineer, Les Ply said "It would have been easier and safer to kill the well with the relief well. When it is cemented from the bottom, you can be assured the well is dead."

BP (NYSE:BP) Cement Hardens, on to "Bottom Kill"

BP (NYSE:BP) said that the sealing cement has hardened. Work crews are now preparing for the final stage of drilling a relief well, called "bottom kill." After oil was spewing into the ocean for 84 days.

The pressure tests that were done on the cement plug that was forced down the throat of the well, have shown the seal is securely in place. Which means, BP can start drilling on the last 100 feet to permanently seal the damaged well. The crews must drill very carefully and very slowly, only progressing at a rate of about 30 feet at a time.

The company is expecting to not be completed until next weekend. They will use the same process of drilling cement and mud, this time into the bottom of the well. At that time, they are confident the two relief wells will meet, thus completing the process and "killing" the well.

Transocean: (NYSE:RIG) Cement Work Cause Of Blowout

While many are pointing the finger at BP (NYSE:BP) others are investigating what is showing a common thread with improperly oil well cementing jobs. Sealing offshore oil wells has failed numerous times in the past according to the American Press Association.

Another example of poor regulations is federal regulators giving drillers a free hand in crucial safety steps. These federal regulators leave the decision of what type of cement is used up to the oil and gas companies. There are simple guidelines from the American Petroleum Institute that drillers are encouraged to follow.

Yet, state and federal standards and controls are comparably much more strict on cement projects such as bridges, roads, and buildings. Transocean feels that the cement work is one of the main causes for of the blowout.

An AP review of the federal accident and incident reports on offshore wells shows that there have been at least 34 times the cementing process has been implicated since 1978. Many of the reports simply state the cause as "poor cement job."