Joint Information Command Update on Thunder Horse Response Effort
Posted: 18 July 2005
The joint effort by BP, SMIT, the US Coast Guard and US Department of Interior's Minerals Management Service continues today to respond to the Thunder Horse platform incident in Mississippi Canyon Block 778 approximately 150 miles southeast of New Orleans .
- The recovery team continues to make steady progress in righting the Thunder Horse semi submersible platform.
- The platform continues to rise and remains stable. The platform's decking is now out of the water. The lowest portion of the deck is now 15 feet above the water's surface and the hull has reached normal displacement.
- The recovery team has reduced the platform's angle of list to 11 degrees and continues to make adjustments to return it to normal trim.
- Concern for safety and the environment remain top priorities. Operations to-date have not resulted in any injuries or environmental impact
- The weather at the scene of the recovery effort remains calm.
- BP and its lead contractor SMIT continue activities to make the platform sea-worthy and storm-safe as a precaution against changes in weather conditions resulting from the expected arrival of Hurricane Emily into the western Gulf of Mexico next week.
- Pumping operations continue and have been underway since 4 p.m. July 13. Efforts to seal ballast water inlets and plug instrumentation ports are nearing completion. Other sealing and weather-proofing activities are also underway.
- The US Coast Guard, Department of Interior's Minerals Management Service and BP's partner in the Thunder Horse development continue to participate in the recovery effort
- The Thunder Horse project was not due to start production until the end of 2005, and the platform is not yet connected to the subsea oil wells.
Posted by Editor Pipeline Magazine
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