How do you drill a relief well, and do it so it actually “hits” the well you’re trying to plug?
The Answer
What they do is put an electric charge on the leaking well – that creates a magnetic field that identifies the exact location of the casing. Then the relief well drilling equipment senses the direction and distance and homes in on it.
Note the logo on the guy talking – “Boots and Coots” – they’re the experts in capping blown out wells. At the end, he points out they are 40 for 40 at hitting the leaking wells. As of the 13th of June, the relief well was at about 14,000 ft (including the 5,000 feet of water – so a net drilling distance of about 9000 feet). They started the well on May 2nd. They plan the intersection at about 18,000 feet. The last 1000 feet will go slower as they are preparing to break into the casing and stop the leak. It sounds like they’re a bit ahead of schedule, but I”m sure they’re being careful not to over-promise.
