DATE: July 21, 2010 17:05:21 CST
Transcript - PressBrief with National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen July 21, 2010

WASHINGTON -- Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the National Incident Commander for the Deepwater BP Oil Spill response briefing. A full transcript of the call follows:
July 21, 2010

3:30 p.m. EDT

Thad Allen: Good. Thank you. This morning I would like to focus on source control that’s happening at the well head in relation to both containment and the relief wells, and then the implications of the weather predictions that have been broadcasted for the last 24 to 48 hours about the tropical depression that’s in the vicinity of Puerto Rico this morning.

First of all, by way of process, you’ll see at mid-day – I sent a letter to Bob Dudley, the chief managing director of BP. I authorized BP to – I authorized BP to continue for the next 24 hours a well integrity test, but I also asked them that, given the potential for a tropical storm that could enter the Gulf of Mexico in the next 48 hours or so, to provide me an assessment of potential impacts regarding source control operations and other options to mitigate impacts of the weather. And I asked to have that no later than 8 this morning. That was actually delivered last night.

Over the night and through this morning, our science team in Houston has been talking with the BP folks regarding the various scenarios that might play out and the issues associated with the current lines of operation. I’m going to go through these each individually, and I’d be glad to take any questions you have for me after that.

One thing I do not understand is why we have not employed oil-eating bacteria to clean up the spill. It would seem the best possible way to do so in marshes and wetlands. Anyone want to do the research about the oil-eating bacteria and it's potential ecologic impact? I know nothing about that issue.

The decision to leave the well capped, which was made at the recommendation of Energy Secretary Steven Chu, means that scientists with the government and with BP think that the well is undamaged and that there is little risk it would deteriorate if kept under pressure, as it has been since valves on a new cap were closed a week ago.

So what does the process involve? Believe it or not, naturally occurring bacteria that can degrade oil are already present in marine environments, so adding specially engineered oil-eating bacteria isn't even required. What is needed is fertilizer, since the limited availability of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus prevent these microscopic oil eaters from growing (and eating oil) to their full potential. Oil-degrading microbes start colonizing oil as soon as it is released, so adding fertilizer to crude that has washed up onshore can help the oil-degrading bugs propagate more quickly and ultimately eat more oil.
Atlas says it's a common misconception that adding specially engineered oil-degrading microbes is helpful, though field studies actually show that adding new microbes is no more valuable than providing nutrients to the ones that are already there. There's no major environmental drawback to increased populations of oil-degrading bacteria, although applying too much fertilizer can trigger a damaging eutrophication event in which algal blooms (thanks to the greater availability of nitrogen) use up oxygen in the water and cause die-offs of other marine species. During the Exxon Valdez cleanup, Atlas said that application of fertilizer sped up the rate of microbial oil degradation by three- to fivefold—a significant improvement, although the process is still slow

DATE: July 27, 2010 17:35:10 CST
Transcript – Press Briefing by National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen and NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco

Below is a transcript from today’s teleconference press briefing by Admiral Thad Allen, National Incident Commander for the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill, and NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco.

July 27, 2010

2:00 p.m. EDT

Thad Allen: Thank you Megan, I’d like to provide two operational updates and then allow Jane Lubchenco to make any comments she would like and we’d be glad to take your questions.

First of all regarding the condition of the, of the capped well. Pressure continues to rise, the latest readings this morning were 6,928 pounds per square inch. Temperature was 39.7 which was in degree of yesterdays so all indications are stable. We’ve had no anomalies detected. The well continues to be secure and demonstrate integrity.

We are intending to run two runs today with the Geco Topaz which is our seismic research vessel. Those runs will be made in coordination with the NOAA vessel Pisces which will be doing acoustic measuring at the same time.

That will be done in and around 1,500 meters of the well head itself beyond that the Gordon Gunter another NOAA vessel will be taking additional acoustic readings. Again this is an attempt to build up our knowledge of the seafloor itself and the anomalies associated with what might be seeping out of it.

And to build up a really good 3D visualization of the strata and the formation there as it relates to well integrity. That continues and again the capping stack is in place and we see no indications or any problems associated with that.

Regarding the relief well, the Development Driller III, the riser is latched in and we are currently replacing or displacing, I’m sorry, sea water in the riser package with mud and going through BOP testing.

This is all in advance of later in the week to run and submit the new liners, casing which will be the last structural component before we proceed to the bottom kill. We’re also in position with the Q4, the Q4000 making preparations on there to be able to move some time around next Monday or so, around the second of August to start the static kill if everything remains on target.