BP officials have said that periodically, the pumping of mud in the “top kill” procedure is suspended to undertake various tests and calculate existing pressure. BP has also been utilizing junk shots to help plug the leak.. but who really knows?
As the oil drum reports:
It appears that they are pumping mud again, so another test may be under way. (I am judging this on texture and jet structure) . There is one interesting thing to note, and you have to be familiar with the patterns to see it. So I am going to repeat a picture from 3:45 am yesterday (which has been my standard base reference for mud, rather than oil flows.
Notice the changes in the flow pattern, and particularly that the crack to the right of the central paint removed line, which had a piece of rubber jammed in it . By adding more NL junk they have just about totally bridged that crack and stopped the flow – which illustrates that what they are trying to do at the BOP is at least partially working – as I explained in an earlier post .
I am almost tempted to note that the flow seems at a little less pressure, judged again by jet structure, and which would indicate more bridging in the BOP, but I grow more cautious as the process extends.
