Targeting the oil well Progress of relief wells

As of July 7; relief well 2 is a backup

BP has been drilling two relief wells since May in order to Discover Enterprise
intercept the leaking well deep under the seabed and seal it off containment vessel
with mud and cement.

Relief well 1 zeros in Phase began June 23

Drilling slowed at 16,500 ft. (5,029 m) to take “ranging” tests
to plot leaking well’s exact location Relief
well 2
Began
May 16
Leaking
well pipe
9 7/8 in. Well 5,000 ft.
bore Leaking
(25.1 cm)
well
diameter Vector
magnetometer
1 Electric current 2 Magnetometer in
sent into leaking relief well reads
well pipe to create magnetic field to home
magnetic field in on leaking well
10,000 ft.
Sealing the well To begin in several weeks

13,900 ft
Well (4,236 m)
pipe Relief
well 1
Mud Began
15,000 ft. May 2

1 Relief well 2 At first, mud 3 Mud’s pressure Intersection

punctures leaking will flow up pipe is supposed to About 18,000 ft.
well bore and with gushing oil eventually force oil (5,486 m) or
casing; drilling and gas and gas down into 17,780 ft
3.4 mi. (5.5 km) (5,419 m)
mud pumped in reservoir; then well
is capped with
cement 18,000 ft.
© 2010 MCT
Source: BP, Deepwater Horizon Incident Joint Information Center Oil
Graphic: Judy Treible, Melina Yingling
reservoir