Day 98 BP Oil Spill: Storm Fizzles; Operations Resume; Hayward Out?

Jun 26: On July 23, with the guidance and approval of the National Incident Commander (NIC) and the leadership and direction of the Federal government, relief well activities at the MC252 well site were temporarily suspended because of potentially adverse weather associated with Tropical Storm Bonnie. Following the passing of the weather system, the DDIII drilling rig returned to the relief well site on July 24 and is taking steps necessary to reconnect with the well and resume drilling operations. These steps are expected to take a number of days. The DDII drilling rig is moving back into position, and will take steps necessary to reconnect to the second relief well. However, work on the second relief well has been suspended so as not to interfere with the first.

 

    On Saturday evening (July 24) Admiral Thad Allen, National Incident Commander for the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill and NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco reported on the diminishing impacts from the weather conditions in the Gulf and said, "We do not expect any significant storm surge along the coast. Because Bonnie has weakened, all tropical storm warnings along the Northern Gulf Coast have been discontinued. We expect that Bonnie should help dissipate and weather the oil that's at the surface. It will spread the surface slick out and thereby lower oil concentrations. It's expected to break tar patches and tar mass into smaller tar balls which means faster weathering and faster natural biodegradation. It will also cause more natural dispersion, again lowering the concentration of oil in the water and making it more available to the natural bacteria that are in the water that do this natural biodegradation."

 

    On Sunday evening (July 25), Allen reported that there had been a series of meetings in Houston earlier in the day with the science team and representatives of BP with extensive discussion about the efforts to remobilize assets at the source and make preparations for installing the casing and moving on with the "static kill" (from the top) and the "bottom kill" (from the interceptor relief well). Apparently the current strategy is to do the static kill and then proceed with the well intercept. Simultaenously, the plan involves working toward a second vertical riser to recover more oil should a backup be necessary.

 

    Allen explained, "The time line is roughly over the next week. We'll return the Development Driller III, run the riser pipe, latch in [connecting the riser pipe to the lower marine riser package], pull that undersea containment device, which they call a packer. They're going to need to circulate conditioning fluids through that pipe line to make sure it's ready what they call conditioning a hole and then some time in the next week they'll be in a position to be able to run that (nine and sent to eight inch) liner which is the critical path right now to moving -- to move ahead. Once that liner is laid, they're going to put cement in and around it. And at that point the two vessels that were supporting the liner operation, one call the Blue Dolphin, the other is called the Center Line will redeploy and hook up with the Q4000. This is sometime -- this will be sometime during the week of 1 August. And they will set up for that to be able to inject the static kill and during that week of August subject to the (inaudible) I'm sorry the containment pipe being installed and cemented in then we will go to the static kill with the Q4000. So generally the next week will be prep, making sure everything is ready to go and getting the liner run and then the week of the first of August is when we will attempt to do the static kill and then move back and finish the bottom kill."

 

    Also, on July 26, BP issued a brief release stating, "BP notes the press speculation over the weekend regarding potential changes to management and the charge for the costs of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. BP confirms that no final decision has been made on these matters. A Board meeting is being held on Monday evening ahead of the announcement of the second quarter results on 27th July. Any decisions will be announced as appropriate." The speculation is that BP's Chief Executive Tony Hayward will be replaced by Bob Dudley who recently took over the job as BP's point man for the Gulf of Mexico cleanup job. BP current share price is approaching $39, and the market value is $121 billion.

 

    Access the late Sunday briefing of Allen for more details on the upcoming strategy (click here). Access a July 25 summary of operations (click here). Access the Restore the Gulf website for more information (click here). Access the Unified Command website which contains additional information (click here). Access more information on BP activities from the BP response website (click here).

Sen. Dems Back Off On Comprehensive Energy-Climate Bill

Sen. Dems Back Off On Comprehensive Energy-Climate Bill - Jul 22: At a news conference following a Senate Democratic caucus meeting, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Senator John Kerry (D-MA) admitted that Democrats cannot get even one Republican to work with them on crafting a comprehensive energy and climate bill; and thus, they are essentially scrapping plans for an attempt to pass comprehensive legislation before the August recess. Senator Kerry attempted to put a positive spin on the situation and indicated there was still hope and that the White House and the Majority Leader were still leaving the door open for a possible last minute compromise.

 

    As an alternative, Majority Leader Reid said in the next few days he will introduce a four part bill that will cover the following: it will hold BP accountable for the Gulf oil spill; it will decrease dependence on foreign oil by encouraging natural gas development and big rig truck conversion to natural gas (i.e. the Pickens Plan, see link below); it will legislate the "Home Star" energy efficiency program; and he said it would put money back into the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

 

    Senator Kerry said, ". . . we've always known from day one, that in order to pass comprehensive energy/climate legislation, you've got to reach 60 votes, and to reach those 60 votes, you've got have some Republicans. And as we stand here today, we do not have one Republican. I think that it's possible to get there. Even this morning, Senator Lieberman and I had a meeting with one Republican who has indicated a willingness to begin working towards something.  Harry Reid, today, is committed to giving us that opportunity, that open door over the next weeks, days, months, whatever it takes to find those 60 votes.

    "The work will continue every single day. In the meantime, as Senator Reid has just said, we have an obligation to the American people, we have an obligation to our country. And that is to respond to the oil spill in the Gulf.  And that's why Senator Reid is going to bring this admittedly narrow, limited bill to the floor because he's determined to do what we can in the timeframe that we have before the August break that will address some of our energy independence and some of the oil spill issues.

    "Now let me be crystal clear. As Senator Reid said, this legislation that he has proposed does not replace climate legislation. It does not replace comprehensive energy legislation. Now President Obama called me before this meeting and said point blank that he is committed to working in these next days at a more intensive pace together with Carol Browner and other members of the administration to help bring together the ability to find sixty votes for that comprehensive legislation. And the leader is committed to getting that comprehensive legislation to the floor as soon as possible, whenever that might turn out to be. . ."

    The Alliance for Climate Protection (ACP), founded by former Vice President Al Gore issued a statement saying, "It is wrong that hundreds of millions of lobbying and advertising dollars from big oil and dirty coal, along with obstruction by the Republican leadership in the Senate, have blocked debate and action on comprehensive climate and energy legislation. These policies will create millions of jobs, rebuild our economy, strengthen our national security and help solve the climate crisis. This opposition to action is in sharp contrast to the overwhelming support of the American people for a clean energy economy. Now President Obama and the U.S. Congress must recommit to utilizing every opportunity to reduce carbon pollution, invest in clean energy sources that are made in America, and support federal efforts to protect the health and welfare of the American people."

    The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) issued a statement saying, "While strong climate legislation is clearly needed, the proposals under consideration in the Senate (i.e. Senators Kerry-Lieberman American Power Act) fell well-short of what is needed to stop global warming. We are far better served by a science-based approach under the existing Clean Air Act, than by a bill that continues to subsidize and pander to the oil and coal industries and other polluters. Any bill truly aimed at dealing with global warming must build upon -- not gut -- our existing foundation of environmental protections. And, importantly, it must achieve the greenhouse pollution reductions necessary to avert dangerous climate disruption. That means reducing carbon dioxide concentrations that currently stand at 392 parts per million to below 350 parts per million. Nothing less will do."

    The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) issued a statement saying, "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today delivered very bad news to the American people. Continuing obstructionism by the Senate Republican leadership, joined by a handful of Democratic senators, is still blocking the way forward on essential clean energy and climate legislation. It is time for all of us to make our voices heard. Over the recess we must deliver a message to senators: 'Do your job!  We face a triple threat of a stagnant economy, ballooning energy insecurity, and a climate that is coming apart. Don't fail us. Don't fail our children. Don't come home again without having tackled these real and present dangers.'"

 

    The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) issued a statement saying, ". . .The onus isn't only on the Senate. President Obama needs to step up his administration's efforts to make his campaign promise to address climate change a reality. We need the White House to aggressively push for real energy reform. Time is running out. We only have five and half weeks left in this session, and the oil and coal industries are doing what they can to delay legislation and weaken it. We can no longer afford to send a billion dollars a day overseas for imported oil. We can't afford more dirty air, dangerous mining accidents, and oil spilling into our waters. It's long past time for the Senate to protect our future. It should not let this opportunity slip away."

 

        Outspoken climate change critic, Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works issued a statement saying, "I am pleased that Sen. Reid decided against resurrecting cap-and-trade legislation before the August recess, owing to the fact that several members of his own party have rightly indicated their opposition to it. Instead, he and other cap-and-trade supporters have signaled a desire to possibly consider such legislation when Congress returns in September. I very much look forward to having yet another debate in the Senate on jobs, consumers, the economy, and the serious damage that a national energy tax would inflict on all three." 

 

    Access Senator Kerry's transcript of the news conference (click here). Access a video of excerpts from the news conference (click here). Access the ACP statement (click here). Access the CBD statement (click here). Access a release from UCS (click here). Access a release from Senator Inhofe (click here). Access a posting from the Pickens Plan which includes links to major media coverage of the Senate Dem's announcement (click here).

NAS Report Recommends Comprehensive GHG Management System

Jul 22: A report by the National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council (NRC) indicates that a comprehensive national response to climate change should be informed by reliable data coordinated through climate services and a greenhouse gas (GHG) monitoring and management system to provide timely information tailored to decision makers at all levels. The report -- Informing an Effective Response to Climate Change -- recommends several mechanisms for improving communication about climate science and responses and calls for a systematic framework for making and evaluating decisions about how to effectively manage the risks posed by climate change. 

 

    Diana Liverman, co-chair of the panel that wrote the report, co-director of the Institute of Environment at the University of Arizona, Tucson, and a senior research fellow at Oxford University said, "Global climate change is a long-term challenge that will require all of us to make many decisions about how to respond. To make choices that are based on the best available science, government agencies, the private sector, and individuals need clear, accessible information about what is happening to the climate and to emissions. We also need information on the implications of different options -- especially to assess whether policies are effective." The report is part of a congressionally requested suite of studies known as America's Climate Choices, which also includes three other recently released reports.  An overarching report to be released later this year will build on all four reports and other materials to offer a scientific framework for shaping the policy choices underlying the nation's efforts to confront climate change. 

 

    The report indicates that the Federal government needs to establish information and reporting systems -- such as climate services and a greenhouse-gas accounting system -- that provide a range of information on climate change and variability, observed changes and causes, potential impacts, and strategies for limiting emissions or adapting to impacts. Although the report does not specify a particular agency to lead Federal efforts, it emphasizes the importance of coordination across the Federal government and with state, local and private sector decision makers. Leadership might come through executive orders, existing units such as the Office of Science and Technology Policy, an expanded U.S. Global Climate Change Research Program, or new entities.

 

    The report says the new national system for providing climate services should inform decision makers and assist them in managing climate-related risks. It would coordinate data among several agencies and incorporate regional expertise. Information should be timely, authoritative, and based on rigorous natural and social science research and tailored to government- and private-sector users at the national, regional, and local levels, the report says. For example, agricultural producers trying to decide which crops to grow need timely seasonal forecasts, data on likely outbreaks of diseases or pests, and advice about long-term strategies for adapting to climate impacts; and forest and park managers need information to control fires and plan for longer-term ecosystem management.

 

    The report identifies several key functions that should be included in climate services, such as enhanced observations and vulnerability analyses on a regional scale, sustained interaction with stakeholders and research to understand their needs, an international information component that provides data on global climate observations and impacts, and a central accessible web portal that encourages sharing of information. These functions might be overlooked if the services are based only on existing Federal capabilities.

 

    The proposed comprehensive GHG management system for monitoring, reporting, and verifying emissions should include a unified accounting protocol and a registry to track emissions at a detailed level. Monitoring is essential for developing effective emissions policies and verifying claims that emissions have been reduced, the report says. Such a system could build on the existing expertise of agencies such as the U.S. EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The systems should also be designed to evaluate and assess state and local government and private-sector responses, many of which already are occurring.  For example, more than half of Americans live in states, counties, and cities that have enacted a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and many private companies are taking significant steps to reduce their carbon footprints.  Federal policies should not unnecessarily supersede measures already being taken regionally or locally.

 

    According to the report, to effectively manage the serious risks posed by climate change, decision makers need to account for many uncertainties about the severity of impacts and options for responding to them and be able to modify their choices based on new information and experience. Therefore, decision makers in the public and private sectors need to implement an iterative risk management strategy that adapts to new information, conditions, or technologies that could affect climate change policies. To that end, the government could also review and revise programs such as Federal crop and flood insurance in the light of the risks of climate change. The study panel endorsed steps already taken by Federal financial and insurance regulators such as the Securities and Exchange Commission to require disclosure requirements for climate change risks.

 

    The report says that although public beliefs and attitudes about climate often shift from year to year, recent opinion polls indicate that many Americans are concerned about climate change and want more information about the causes, consequences, and potential solutions. The report identifies several barriers to communication about climate change and recommends some strategies for overcoming them, such as urging Federal agencies to support training for researchers on how to communicate complex climate change information and uncertainties to different audiences. In addition, a national task force of educators, government leaders, policymakers, and business executives should be established to improve climate change communication and education.

 

    Consumers can play an important role in responding to climate change by choosing to reduce their energy use and selecting more energy-efficient products with lower emissions. The Federal government should review and promote credible product standards and labels for consumers that provide information about energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions. The government should also consider establishing an advisory service on these issues targeted at the public and small businesses.

 

    Access a release from NAS (click here). Access the complete report and an executive summary (click here). Access the America's Climate Choices Project website for links to other reports in the series (click here).

Day 93 BP Oil Spill: More Monitoring; Killing Well Nears

Jul 21: On July 20, at approximately 3:30 PM, the National Incident Commander Thad Allen reported that the government had just authorized BP another 24 hour period for the oil integrity test to continue.  He said the Unified Command (UC) continue to be pleased with the progress as far as monitoring responsiveness to anomalies that are detected. He said the scientific teams from the U.S. Government and BP and other industry experts continue to talk about the pressure difference in the well and the sources for that. The current pressure (yesterday) is 6,834 pounds per square inch and continues to slowly increase between one and two pounds per hour. BP reported the pressure at 6844 psi at 10 AM today (July 21).

 

    He said the team is looking for all indicators of anomalies and are "working very, very hard to make sure that we don't see any indicators that there would be any compromise to the integrity of the well head." He said they are  taking temperature readings which are stable at about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Any temperature fluctuation will be an indication of movement of products through the well bore that might be something to be concerned about. They continue to collect acoustic, sonar and seismic data and continue to look for anomalies such as gas bubbles. 

 

    There are some minor leaks that are around the blowout preventer and the, and the stacking cap itself.  He said they don't think those are consequential to the response but they are tracking them. They are the source of some hydrates in and around the material. The next 24 to 48 hours they will continue to analyze the seismic data.  The NOAA Vessel, Pices is in place and NOAA will continue to do acoustic monitoring. 

 

    While the monitoring is taking place the largest, most integrated response to the surface oil continues. A total of 750 skimming vessels are now involved in the operation.  We will continue to do that. He said, "We are making great progress with the oil that was released while we were changing out the capping stacks." He reported that the weather has been fairly good holding the oil near or just south of the well head. The winds have started to change and the next 24 to 48 hours, there could be some oil moving to the west to northwest back towards the Mississippi Sound, the Chandelier Breton Sounds and the southeast coast of Louisiana. 

 

    Media reports on July 21, indicate that there is some concern over a developing tropical depression that could move into the area over the weekend. Efforts to permanently close the well either through the interceptor wells and/or a "static kill" which was announced yesterday are likely within the next two weeks. If the developing storm worsens, activity could be delayed. Also, the "seepage" report of couple of days ago, appears to be coming from an older, unrelated well.

 

    In a separate report from BP, the company indicated that it has entered into several agreements to sell "upstream" assets in the United States, Canada and Egypt to Apache Corporation. The deals, together worth a total of $7 billion, comprise BP's Permian Basin assets in Texas and south-east New Mexico, US; its Western Canadian upstream gas assets; and the Western Desert business concessions and East Badr El-din exploration concession in Egypt. BP said the decision to make the divestments follows the announcement made by BP last month that it was increasing its target for divestments to $10 billion. The proceeds of the sales will be used by BP to increase the cash available to the group.

 

    BP Chairman, Carl-Henric Svanberg said, "Over the last two months the Board has considered BP's options for generating the cash necessary to meet the obligations likely to arise from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. BP has an extremely strong asset base which is diversified geographically as well as by asset class. The Board believes that there are opportunities to divest assets which are strategically more valuable to other parties than they are to BP. Today's announcement is the first such transaction and meets the value and strategic criteria of both parties." BP's stock price is holding between $36-37 per share and the current market value is $113 billion.

 

    Access the transcript of the July 20 UC briefing (click here). Access the Restore the Gulf website for more information (click here). Access the Unified Command website which contains additional information (click here). Access a release on the divestments with more details on each transaction (click here). Access more information on BP activities from the BP response website (click here).

Day 92 BP Oil Spill: Sparse News; House Hearing; More Monitoring

Jul 20: Neither the Unified Command or BP issued a news update for July 20. In a very brief announcement BP reported that the well integrity test is ongoing and active monitoring continues. Currently the well remains shut-in with no oil flowing into the Gulf; any significant change to the operation will be announced via a press release. BP said the pressure continues to slowly increase and is approximately 6825 psi. A new "static kill" method was apparently suggested by BP and discussed in various media reports and at the House hearing below. The method would involve injecting mud at the top of the well and sealing it similar to the former "top kill" method that failed previously.

    The House Energy & Commerce Committee, Chaired by Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA), Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Chaired by Representative Bart Stupak (D-MI) and the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, Chaired by Representative Ed Markey (D-MA) held a joint hearing entitled, "The Role of the Interior Department in the Deepwater Horizon Disaster." The hearing examined the Interior Department's actions before and since the Deepwater Horizon explosion on April 20, 2010. Witnesses included: Gale Norton, Former Secretary, Department of the Interior, 2001-2006; Dirk Kempthorne, Former Secretary, Department of the Interior, 2006-2009; and Ken Salazar, the current Secretary, Department of the Interior.

    In an opening statement full Committee Chairman Waxman confronted Secretaries Norton and Kempthorne and said, "We will learn that the Department of Interior under both President Bush and President Obama made serious mistakes. The cop on the beat was off-duty for nearly a decade. And this gave rise to a dangerous culture of permissiveness. . . What makes this hearing unique is that we will also be hearing from his two predecessors, former Secretary Gale Norton and former Secretary Dirk Kempthorne. This will allow us to examine the recent history of federal drilling regulation, and we thank them for their cooperation.

    "In many ways, this history begins with Vice President Cheney's secretive energy task force. The energy task force was initiated during President Bush's second week in office, and for weeks it met privately with oil and gas executives and other energy industry officials, whose identity the Administration steadfastly refused to disclose. Four months later, the Vice President released a report describing the Administration's new energy strategy. The report directed the Interior Department to 'consider economic incentives for environmentally sound offshore oil and gas development.' As recommended in the report, President Bush immediately issued an executive order to 'expedite projects that will increase the production … of energy.'

    "Secretary Norton led implementation of the Bush energy policies at the Department of the Interior. She promoted new incentives and royalty programs to encourage drilling. But, she failed to act on safety warnings about blowout preventers. And she rejected proposals to strengthen standards for cementing wells. Those decisions sent a clear message: the priority was more drilling first, safety second. Secretary Norton left amid the scandals involving Jack Abramoff to work as a general counsel for Shell, a major oil company. Her successor, Secretary Kempthorne, oversaw the Lease Sale to BP of the future Macondo well. Secretary Kempthorne also oversaw the deeply flawed assessment of potential environmental impacts associated with this lease sale, an assessment that did not anticipate the possibility or impacts of a catastrophic subsea blowout. As a result of those environmental assessments, BP did not have to include an oil spill response discussion, a site-specific oil spill response plan, or a blowout scenario in its exploration plan. . ."

    Rep. Waxman also criticized the Department under Secretary Salazar and said, "As a Democrat, I hoped the Obama Administration would do better and, in some ways, there have been reforms. The scandal ridden royalty-in-kind program was cancelled. Secretary Salazar instituted new ethics programs. And in the Department's budget, Secretary Salazar requested more inspectors for offshore facilities. But there is little evidence that these reforms changed the laissez-faire approach of MMS in regulating the BP well. MMS approved the drill plan and changes to the well design that we have questioned during our investigation."

    Former Interior Secretary Norton said she was "deeply saddened and appalled by the Deepwater Horizon disaster." She said, "I urge Congress and regulators to respond in a balanced way: take strong action to ensure safety measures are in place and that industry complies. Devote more resources to research and preparedness for oil spill response. But do not impede America's energy security or destroy processes that have worked well in the past." She concluded, "America has been at the leading edge of offshore safety and environmental protection. We have suffered a devastating setback. Lives have been lost. Whole communities have been affected. The environment has been seriously impacted. We should strive to learn from the mistakes and make sure they never happen again."

    Former Interior Secretary Kempthorne testified that, "My responsibilities as Secretary ended 449 days ago. . . As you can appreciate, I cannot provide any insight about the exploration plan and the many dimensions of the application for the permit to drill which culminated in the Deepwater Horizon accident because these were evaluated and approved after I left Interior. . . Before the Deepwater Horizon accident, there was a 40-year record of environmental protection in offshore drilling. The last major oil spill from a platform occurred in 1969 near Santa Barbara, California. As the Interior Department had stated – on various occasions – before the BP accident, 'natural cracks in the seabed cause oil seeps 150 times larger in volume than oil spilled due to OCS oil and gas activities.' This record of environmental protection occurred when Republicans and Democrats at controlled the Administration and the Congress. . ."

    He said, "I recall being pointedly asked during Congressional hearings why Interior wasn't doing more to expand offshore energy development, not less. In part this concern was driven by the then soaring $4 a gallon gasoline prices." Kempthorne closed with two final thoughts: "First, as a former governor, I urge Congress and this Administration to work closely, hand-in-glove, with the Governors of Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Florida and Texas. These Governors, Haley Barbour, Bob Riley, Bobby Jindal, Charlie Crist, and Rick Perry, are proven leaders, passionate about their states and their citizens, and pragmatic about finding solutions. They and can be essential allies to clean up the oil spill. . . Second, the consequence of the Deepwater Horizon accident is that it will forever change the offshore energy industry. Never again will a Cabinet Secretary take office and be told that more oil seeps from the seabed than has been spilt from drilling operations in U.S. waters. Never again will decision makers not include planning for events that might be low-probability events, but which, in the unlikely event they occurred, would be catastrophic."

    Representative Markey asked questions about new "static kill" procedure and reminded that BP must pay a $4,300 fine per barrel in the case of gross negligence. He has sent a letter to Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen seeking more information on the testing of the Deepwater Horizon/Macondo well and on the status of any potential decision to keep the well closed permanently. He is concerned that shutting of the well would potentially end the possibility of doing any final analysis of the flow rate of the well by collecting 100 percent of the oil into ships on the surface.

    Access the hearing website for links to Chairman Waxman's Opening Statement, Chairman Stupak's Opening Statement, a Briefing Memo, Supplemental Memo, all testimony and a webcast [available soon following the hearing still in progress at press time] (click here). Access a release from Rep. Markey and link to his letter to Allen (click here). Access the new RestoreTheGulf website for links to the latest Unified Command updates and more (click here). Access further updates from the BP website (click here).

Day 91 BP Oil Spill: Cap Holds; Seep Detected; More Monitoring

Jul 19: As of about 10;30 AM EST, BP reported that the well integrity test is ongoing and active monitoring continues. Currently the well remains shut-in with no oil flowing into the Gulf and the pressure continues to slowly increase and is approximately 6800 psi. BP said the next update will be provided around the same time on July 20. According to BP, it continues to work cooperatively with the guidance and approval of the National Incident Commander, Thad Allen and the leadership and direction of Federal government including the Department of Energy, Department of the Interior, Federal Science Team, Bureau of Ocean Energy, Management, Regulation and Enforcement, U.S. Coast Guard and secretaries Ken Salazar and Steven Chu. At this time, the well integrity test on the MC252 exploratory well continues.

    During the test, the three ram capping stack has been closed, shutting in the well. All sub-sea containment systems (namely, the Q4000 and Helix Producer systems) have been temporarily suspended. The pressure inside the well recently has been measured at approximately 6,792 pounds per square inch and continues to rise slowly. As directed by the National Incident Commander, extensive monitoring activities are being carried out around the well site. Information gathered during the test is being reviewed with the government agencies, including the Federal Science Team, to determine next steps. Depending upon the results of the test and monitoring activities, these steps may include extending the well integrity test or returning to containment options.

 

    Yesterday, Thad Allen sent a letter to BP and today issued a statement on a new concern that has developed. Allen said, "Yesterday I sent BP a letter stating that there were a number of unanswered questions about the monitoring systems they committed to as a condition of the US government extending the well integrity test. Last night a conference call between the federal science team and BP representatives was convened to discuss some specific issues, including the detection of a seep near the well and the possible observation of methane over the well. During the conversation, the federal science team got the answers they were seeking and the commitment from BP to meet their monitoring and notification obligations.

 

Ongoing monitoring and full analysis of both the seepage and methane will continue in coordination with the science team. I authorized BP to continue the integrity test for another 24 hours and I restated our firm position that this test will only continue if they continue to meet their obligations to rigorously monitor for any signs that this test could worsen the overall situation. At any moment, we have the ability to return to the safe containment of the oil on the surface until the time the relief well is completed and the well is permanently killed."

 

    In his letter to BP, Allen states, "Now that source control has evolved into a period beyond the expected 48 hour interval of the Well Integrity Test, I am requiring that you provide me a written update within 24 hours of your intentions going forward. I remain concerned that all potential options to eliminate the discharge of oil be pursued with utmost speed until I can be assured that no additional oil will spill from the Macondo Well. . . Specifically, you must provide me your latest containment plan and schedule in the event that the Well Integrity Test is suspended, the status and completion timelines for all containment options currently under development, and details of any other viable source control options including hydraulic control that you are considering. . . As you develop the plans above, note that the primary method of securing the source is the relief well and this effort takes precedence. Therefore, I direct you to provide a detailed plan for the final stages of the relief well that specifically addresses the interaction of this schedule and any other activity that may potentially delay relief well completion."

 

    Should the test conclude, the Q4000 is expected to resume capturing and flaring oil and gas through the existing system. It has been capturing and flaring an average of 8,000 barrels a day (b/d) of oil in recent weeks. The Helix Producer also is expected to be available to resume capturing oil and flaring gas through the recently installed floating riser system. It has the capacity to capture approximately 20,000 – 25,000 b/d of oil. Plans continue for additional containment capacity and flexibility that are expected to ultimately increase recoverable oil volumes to 60,000-80,000 b/d. To date, the total volume of oil collected or flared by the containment systems is approximately 826,800 barrels.

 

    BP indicates that work on the first relief well, which started May 2, continues. The well reached a depth of 17,864 feet as of July 18 and the next scheduled operation is to carry out a ranging run. The first relief well has approached its last casing end point and, following the casing set, additional ranging runs will be used to guide the drill bit to a MC252 well intercept point. After interception, operations are expected to begin to kill the flow of oil and gas from the reservoir by pumping specialized heavy fluids down the relief well. The second relief well, which started May 16, is at a measured depth of 15,874 feet and has been temporarily halted so as not to interfere with the ranging runs being performed in the first relief well. Although uncertainty remains, the first half of August remains the current estimate of the most likely date by which the first relief well will be completed and kill operations performed.

 

    BP also reports that to date, almost 116,000 claims have been submitted and more than 67,500 payments have been made, totaling $207 million. The cost of the response to date amounts to approximately $3.95 billion, including the cost of the spill response, containment, relief well drilling, grants to the Gulf states, claims paid, and Federal costs.   

 

    Access the latest update release from BP (click here). Access the statement from Allen (click here). Access the letter from Allen to BP (click here). Access a summary of the Administration's activities over the past 24 years (click here). Access the new RestoreTheGulf website for links to the latest Unified Command updates and more (click here). Access further updates from the BP website (click here).

Day 88 BP Oil Spill Update: The Flow Is Stopped; Hold Your Breath

Jul 16: Yesterday afternoon the valves on the new "three ram capping stack" were closed and for the first time in 87 days -- oil stopped flowing into the Gulf of Mexico from the BP MC252 well. With cautious optimism, and assuming no major problem with the capping stack or the wellbore casing, it appears that the disaster in the Gulf has turned a corner with three options now available -- all with positive outcomes: (1) the well could be continuously "shut-in" stopping the flow; (2) recovery of the oil could continue with recovery of up to 80,000 barrels per day which should include all oil (i.e. estimated at up to 60,000 bbls/day); (3) finally, the two relief wells are now with in striking distance of intercepting the MC252 wellbore and hopefully will be able to tap and kill the well. Obviously, beyond stopping the flow; a massive and ongoing cleanup effort will continue for years and the process for compensation for direct and indirect damages to businesses, people, wildlife and the environment will be ongoing.

 

    The official response from BP is that the well integrity test is ongoing. Currently the well remains shut-in with no oil flowing into the Gulf; any significant change to the operation will be announced via a press release. BP says that pressure continues to rise and is currently above 6700 psi. Ultimately, experts have said that a pressure of 8,700 psi would indicate that the wellbore casing is not compromised and is capable of a continuous shut-in situation. Due to the well integrity test, no oil was recovered during the last 12 hours on July 15 (noon to midnight). On July 15, total oil recovered was approximately 9,305 barrels (5,875 barrels of oil were collected; 3,430 barrels of oil were flared; and 22.5 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared). The total oil recovered from the LMRP Cap, Q4000, and Helix Producer systems since they were implemented is approx. 804,800 barrels. An additional 22,000 barrels were collected from the RIT tool earlier in May bringing the total recovered to approx. 826,800 barrels. BP is expected to issue its next update at around 6:30 PM CDT on July 16, 2010.

 

    Speaking for the Unified Command, Admiral Thad Allen issued a statement following the announcement of the stop in oil flow saying, "We're encouraged by this development, but this isn't over. Over the next several hours we will continue to collect data and work with the federal science team to analyze this information and perform additional seismic mapping runs in the hopes of gaining a better understanding on the condition of the well bore and options for temporary shut in of the well during a hurricane. It remains likely that we will return to the containment process using this new stacking cap connected to the risers to attempt to collect up to 80,000 barrels of oil per day until the relief well is completed."

 

    In terms of evaluating the various closure and/or oil recovery options it is important to note that on June 8 (day 50 in the spill) [See WIMS 6/9/10], BP announced that as part of its commitment to restore the environment and habitats in the Gulf Coast region, it would donate the net revenue from oil recovered from the MC252 spill to create a new wildlife fund to create, restore, improve and protect wildlife habitat along the coastline of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. The creation of the fund is over and above BP's obligations under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. BP's net revenue from the sale of oil recovered from skimming operations and the well containment systems will be deposited into this newly-created fund. BP said it could not predict the total of amount of net revenue that would be deposited into the wildlife fund. The amount of funding will be contingent upon the amount of oil collected during operations and the price at which the oil is sold. BP will provide regular updates on the amount of proceeds being deposited into the fund. [Note: WIMS has not seen an accounting of proceeds deposited in the fund; only the daily accounting of recovered oil, i.e. currently total recovered oil is approx. 826,800 barrels].

 

    At approximately 10 AM today, President Obama delivered a brief statement from the White House on the status of the situation in the Gulf. The President said, "I wanted to give everyone a quick update on the situation in the Gulf. As we all know, a new cap was fitted over the BP oil well earlier this week. This larger more sophisticated cap was designed to give us greater control over the oil flow as we complete the relief wells that are necessary to stop the leak. Now, our scientists and outside experts have met through the night and continue this morning to analyze the data from the well integrity test. What they're working to determine is whether we can safely shut in the well using the new cap without creating new problems, including possibly countless new oil leaks in the sea floor.

    Now, even if a shut-in is not possible, this new cap and the additional equipment being placed in the Gulf will be able to contain up 80,000 barrels a day, which should allow us to capture nearly all the oil until the well is killed.  It's important to remember that prior to installation of this new cap, we were collecting on average about 25,000 barrels a day. For almost 90 days of this environmental disaster, all of us have taken hope in the image of clean water instead of oil spewing in the Gulf.  But it is our responsibility to make sure that we're taking a prudent course of action and not simply looking for a short-term solution that could lead to even greater problems down the road. So to summarize, the new cap is good news.  Either we will be able to stop the flow, or we will be able to use it to capture almost all of the oil until the relief well is done.  But we're not going to know for certain which approach makes sense until additional data is in.  And all the American people should rest assured that all of these decisions will be based on the science and what's best for the people of the Gulf.

    In other matters related to the oil spill, the Department of Interior has informed BP that it must report all oil and gas-related activities at its damaged well and pay royalties on all oil and gas captured from the leaking well. The company also will be liable for royalties on lost or wasted oil and gas if it is determined that negligence or regulatory violations caused or contributed to the Deepwater Horizon explosion and subsequent leak. The Interior Department's chief oil and gas regulatory official, Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEM) Michael Bromwich, officially notified BP in a July 15 letter, noting that the company's failure to fulfill these obligations could be considered a knowing and willful violation of the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act.  

    Also, the Unified Command reported that U.S. EPA Assistant Administrator of Solid Waste and Emergency Response Mathy Stanislaus visited a waste site in Grand Isle, LA, with representatives from the Sierra Club, Gulf Coast Fund, Gulf Restoration Network and BISCO Environmental. On June 29, the U.S. Coast Guard, in consultation with EPA, issued a directive to BP outlining expectations for the management of waste and materials collected in the Gulf oil spill response. The directive ensures that BP's waste plans will receive community input, that all of their operations will be fully transparent, and that state and federal authorities will have strong oversight roles throughout the process.

    Access further updates from the BP website (click here). Access a July 16 update from the Unified Command (click here). Access the new RestoreTheGulf website for links to the latest Unified Command updates and more (click here). Access the statement from the President and response to press questions (click here). Access the BP release on the  wildlife fund (click here).

Day 87 BP Oil Spill Update: Repairs Made; Pressure Testing Begins

Jul 15: Breaking News: At 4:00 PM EDT BP was reporting that the valves associated with the pressure testing had been closed and that the flow of oil to the Gulf had temporarily been suspended.

 

    At 10 AM EDT today BP reported that it would issue a press release at the commencement of the well integrity test which was expected to begin soon. The test was delayed yesterday due to concerns raised by Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chu and his team of scientific and industry experts. BP indicated that in preparation for commencement of the well integrity test, yesterday the middle ram was closed and a leak detected in the choke line of the 3 ram stack. Overnight the choke hub was replaced and the new "three ram capping stack" is believed to be ready to being the pressure testing within the wellbore.

 

    The Helix Producer and the Q4000 were both re-started late last night and continue to recover oil and gas; they will be suspended prior to commencement of the well integrity test. For the last 12 hours on July 14 (noon to midnight), approximately 2,040 barrels of oil were collected and approximately 1,230 barrels of oil and 7.4 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared. On July 14, total oil recovered was approx. 12,840 barrels 7,680 barrels of oil were collected (5,160 barrels of oil were flared; and 30.7 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared).

 

    On July 14, President Obama received an update by phone from Secretaries Chu, Napolitano and Salazar as well as Administrator Jackson, National Incident Commander Allen and Carol Browner on the oil spill response efforts. According to a White House release, Admiral Allen and the federal science team, under the leadership of Energy Secretary Chu, directed BP to temporarily delay the well integrity tests until concerns from the scientific community were addressed and adequate assurances were provided that there would be no irreparable harm to the well bore as a result of the testing procedures. Based on new information and analysis, Secretary Chu and other scientists concluded that the test should now proceed with several modifications and safety requirements. Admiral Allen will be issuing a new directive to BP for the test. The directive will require additional seismic testing and monitoring from ROV's as well as acoustic and temperature monitoring throughout the duration of the well integrity test. The test will take up to 48 hours and will include periodic assessments in 6-hour increments.

 

    Test procedures will begin tonight (July 14), starting with the disconnection of both the Q4000 and the Helix Producer. In order to accommodate additional oil which will enter the Gulf environment during the test, over 40 ocean skimmers and other assets have been positioned around the wellhead. Upon completion of the tests, the Federal government will possess valuable data regarding both the condition of the well -- important when action is taken to ultimately kill the well with the relief well efforts -- as well as an understanding of our capacity to shut the well in for brief periods if needed to prepare for a hurricane. As soon as the tests conclude, containment efforts will resume with the new capping stack and other equipment, with the potential to capture up to 80,000 barrels per day.

 

    Access a release from the White House (click here). Access further updates from the BP website (click here). Access the new RestoreTheGulf website for links to the latest Unified Command updates and more (click here).

Day 86 BP Oil Spill Update: New Cap Pressure Testing Delayed

Jul 14: BP announced that it was delaying the start of its planned well integrity testing on the MC252 well following the successful installation of the "three ram capping stack." According to an announcement, following a meeting with Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chu and his team of scientific and industry experts, the National Incident Commander Thad Allen announced that additional analysis of the well testing procedure should be performed before starting the well integrity test. This analysis is underway at this time and is expected to be complete sometime today (July 14).  

 

    Late Tuesday, July 13, Allen released a statement saying, ""Today I met with Secretary Chu, Marcia McNutt and other scientists and geologists as well as officials from BP and other industry representatives as we continue to prepare and review protocols for the well integrity test -- including the seismic mapping run that was made around the well site this morning. As a result of these discussions, we decided that the process may benefit from additional analysis that will be performed tonight and tomorrow. Both the Helix Producer and the Q4000 collection systems are currently on line with the potential to exceed the containment capability that existed before the sealing cap was installed, and skimmers continue to be surged to the well site in anticipation of any increased oil flow as part of the transition. The drilling of relief wells also continues -- the first relief has been drilled to a depth of 17,840 feet below the Gulf surface, and the second to a depth of approximately 15,963 feet below the surface." 

    During the analysis period, BP indicated it will continue to ramp up containment operations on the Helix Producer as well as continue to optimize the Q4000 operations. The Helix Producer has the capacity to capture approximately 20,000 – 25,000 barrels of oil per day. Historically, the Q4000 has flared an average of approximately 8,000 barrels of oil per day. Operations continue on the first relief well, however, operations on the second relief well have been temporarily suspended at 15,963 feet to ensure that there is no interference with the first relief well. The relief wells remain the sole means to permanently seal and isolate the well.

 

    BP reported that for the last 12 hours on July 13 (noon to midnight), approximately 5,085 barrels of oil were collected and 12.6 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared on the Helix Producer, and approximately 4,000 barrels of oil and 9.8 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared on the Q4000. On July 13, total oil recovered was approx. 17,060 barrels.

 

    In other matters, the Administration sent a fourth bill for $99.7 million to BP and other responsible parties for response and recovery operations relating to the spill. The Administration said it will continue to bill BP regularly for all associated costs to ensure the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund is reimbursed on an ongoing basis. BP and other responsible parties have paid the first three bills in full -- totaling $122.3 million. 

 

    As a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of seafood from the Gulf of Mexico and protect consumers, NOAA has expanded the closed fishing area in the Gulf of Mexico. The closed area now represents 83,927 square miles -- approximately 35 percent -- Federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico. This closure does not apply to any state waters. The expanded area went into effect on July 13, at 6 PM eastern time. All commercial and recreational fishing including catch and release is prohibited in the closed area; however, transit through the area is allowed.

 

    Access an update from BP on the delay (click here). Access the new RestoreTheGulf website for links to the latest Unified Command updates and more (click here). Access the latest NOAA closure advisory (click here). Access further updates from the BP website (click here).

Day 85 BP Oil Spill Update: New Cap Installed; Flow May Stop!

Jul 13: In a brief update late on July 12, BP reported that the "three ram capping stack" was installed on the Deep Water Horizon LMRP at 7 PM CDT. The stack completes the installation of the new sealing cap. BP is now undergoing well integrity testing on the MC252 well. For the duration of the integrity test, which will be a minimum of 6 hours and could extend up to 48 hours, the three ram capping stack will be closed and all sub-sea containment systems (namely, the Q4000 and Helix Producer) will be temporarily suspended, effectively shutting in the well. It is expected, although cannot be assured, that no oil will be released to the ocean for the duration of the test.

 

    BP cautions however, that this will not be an indication that flow from the wellbore has been permanently stopped. Information gathered during the test will be reviewed with the relevant government agencies including the Federal science team to determine the way forward. Options include reinstatement of containment as well as extending the test duration beyond 48 hours. BP also notes that the sealing cap system never before has been deployed at these depths or under these conditions, and its efficiency and ability to contain the oil and gas cannot be assured.

 

    The Helix Producer containment system started operations on July 12. The Q4000 containment system continues to capture oil and gas from the MC252 well and flare the hydrocarbons safely at the surface Relief well operations continue throughout this period and remain the sole means to permanently seal and isolate the well.

 

    Also, on July 12, BP reported that as of July 10, almost 105,000 claims had been submitted and more than 52,000 payments have been made, totaling almost $165 million. A July 12, 7:00 PM update from the Unified Command indicates that 106,294 claims have been opened, from which more than $164.9 million have been disbursed. "No claims have been denied to date." There are 1,050 claims adjusters on the ground. BP says its cost of the response to date amounts to approximately $3.5 billion, including the cost of the spill response, containment, relief well drilling, grants to the Gulf states, claims paid, and Federal costs.

 

    Since June 28, BP's share value has risen $10 from a record low of $27 to a current value of $37. Additionally, the market value of the company has now risen to $118 billion -- up from a low of $98 billion. Prior to the oil spill disaster the company was valued over $180 billion. BP's rise in stock price and market value comes in spite of a July 12 front page New York Times expose entitled, "In BP's Record, a History of Boldness and Costly Blunders."

 

    Access the BP updates (click here); and (click here). Access the NYT article (click here). Access the new RestoreTheGulf website for links to the latest Unified Command updates and more (click here). Access the latest BP update (click here).

Day 84 BP Oil Spill Update: Free Flowing Well; New Top Cap

Jul 12: A BP release explains that following a technical review last week, the National Incident Commander Thad Allen, on July 10, approved BP's plan to move ahead with replacing the existing lower marine riser package (LMRP) containment cap over the Deepwater Horizon's failed blow-out preventer (BOP) with a new sealing cap assembly. The new sealing cap contains three closing rams and multiple ports for connection to additional containment options. The new cap creates the potential to increase oil and gas containment capacity to greater than 50,000 barrels per day and should improve containment efficiency during hurricane season by allowing shorter disconnect and reconnect times. The new cap assembly also might simplify future well kill and cementing procedures through the relief wells, which in turn could increase the probability of success for those operations. In addition, the new cap should enable a shut-in test to be performed to determine integrity of the MC252 well.

    The plan for installing the sealing cap involves a multiple stage process and several vessels and remotely operated vehicles. First, the existing LMRP cap and the remaining riser flange are being removed from the top of the Deepwater Horizon LMRP. Next, a flange transition spool is being installed using the Boa Deep C. Then, using the Discoverer Inspiration, a three-ram capping stack will be connected to the top of the spool.

 

    The sealing cap operation began over the weekend to take advantage of anticipated favorable weather conditions and is expected to take between four and seven days to complete. The sealing cap installation procedure is intended to run in parallel with the installation and start-up of the Helix Producer containment system, which was expected to begin ramping up containment operations as early as Sunday.

    Because the LMRP cap must be removed to conduct this sealing cap operation, there will be a period of decreased oil and gas capture from the wellhead. During the installation of the sealing cap assembly, the Q4000 should continue to capture and flare oil and gas. Additionally, oil and gas also may be captured by the Helix Producer containment system once it becomes operational. Unlike the LMRP containment cap system, the Q4000 and Helix Producer systems are connected to the kill and choke lines on the BOP via the existing top kill manifold. BP notes that this new sealing cap has not been deployed at these depths or under these conditions, and there can be no assurance that the sealing cap will be successfully installed or installed within the anticipated timeframe. Contingency LMRP caps are positioned on the seabed and it should be possible to return to the current containment configuration if needed.

 

    BP also indicated that work on the first relief well, which started May 2, has reached a measured depth of 17,810 feet on July 9. The previous ranging run indicated that the relief well is now approximately 5 to 7.5 feet horizontally away from the MC252 well. The next planned step is to do another ranging run and then drill down 30 feet to a measured depth of 17,840 feet. The series of drilling and ranging runs will continue for approximately another 60 feet. The 97/8 inch liner will then be set before beginning the final series of drilling and ranging runs before intercepting the MC252 well. Although uncertainty still exists, the first half of August remains the current estimate of the most likely date by which the first relief well will intercept the MC252 well and kill operations performed. The second relief well, which started May 16, is drilling at 15,963 feet. The next planned step is to set the 117/8 inch casing. Following casing and cementing, the second relief well will pause to avoid any interference with the first relief well activities, but be positioned should any issues arise with the first relief well.

 

    BP also reported that on July 10, a total of approximately 15,200 barrels of oil were collected or flared and 35.2 million cubic feet of gas were flared. For the first 12 hours on July 11 (midnight to noon), approximately 4,035 barrels of oil and 9.8 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared on the Q4000. With the removal of the LMRP cap, oil recovered from the Discoverer Enterprise was lower on July 10 and recovery from the Discoverer Enterprise has since been discontinued.

 

    The Unified Command reported that in anticipation of increased oil flow following the removal of the top hat containment device, skimmers were surged to the well site -- allowing crews to take advantage of good weather conditions and skim an estimated 25,500 barrels of oily water, double the amount collected the previous day. Currently, 46 skimmers are operating in the vicinity of the well, in addition to more than 570 skimmers deployed to protect coastlines as part of the largest oil spill response in U.S. history.

    Access BP's release on the installation of the new cap (click here). Access the new RestoreTheGulf website for links to the latest Unified Command updates and more (click here). Access the latest BP update (click here).

Day 81 BP Oil Spill Update: 5th Circuit Denies Moratorium

Jul 9: At a 10 AM briefing this morning Thad Allen, the National Incident Commander for the Deepwater BP Oil Spill response was joined by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. Allen reported that the hook up with the Helix Producer, which is expected to increase the recovery operation from the current average of 25,000 to 53,000 barrels per day, and has been delayed due to weather condition since June 30, is now proceeding. He said the operation could begin the expanded recovery sometime on Sunday. 

    Allen issued a letter to BP Chief Managing Director Bob Dudley requesting him to provide me within 24 hours a detailed timeline on how BP intends to proceed -- that's removing existing containment cap and putting on another cap on that will allow BP to actually seal the well at that point. Allen said he has had several discussions with Mr. Dudley on the procedure and there is a table top exercise in Houston for 11:00 AM where they are going to go through all the procedures. He said, "we could at the earliest start removing the current capping device upon the wellbore sometime tomorrow. That would be followed a period where there would be no capping device, and we continue to produce through the Q4000 and the Helix Producer when it comes online.

    "But there would be a multi-day period there while we're putting the new containment cap on whether it be some exposure to hydrocarbons going into the environment.  We continue to move forward.  We think this weather window presents a significant opportunity for us to accelerate the process of capping -- shutting down the well from the top and increasing the prospects for being able to kill the well from below through the relief wells. Regarding the relief wells, we continue to make progress there. As of yesterday, we had moved to 17,780 feet in measured depth. We can move to 17,830 feet. It's getting very, very close. Things are going to get slow at this point as they go in small sections."

    BP reported on the latest recovery operations and indicated that for the last 12 hours on July 8 (noon to midnight), approximately 7,940 barrels of oil were collected and approximately 4,150 barrels of oil and 27.2 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared. On July 8, total oil recovered was approx. 24,395 barrels (16,305 barrels of oil were collected; 8,090 barrels of oil were flared; and 55.5 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared. Total oil recovered from both the LMRP Cap and Q4000 systems since they were implemented is approx. 709,100 barrels. An additional 22,000 barrels were collected from the RIT tool earlier in May bringing the total recovered to approx. 731,100 barrels.

 

    The other major news relating to the oil spill was the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals denial of the Administration's request to stay the district court decision which lifted the six month moratorium on deepwater drilling (See WIMS article in our Environmental Appeals Court blog). Thus, there is currently no moratorium; however, Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has reportedly indicated a new moratorium will be issued shortly.

 

    Access the complete transcript of the latest press briefing (click here). Access the letter from Allen to Dudley (click here). Access the new RestoreTheGulf website for links to the latest Unified Command updates and more (click here). Access the latest BP update (click here).