Natural gas could have

shot straight up the

riser to the rig

METAL CASINGS
LINE THE WEll:
Tile ell is drilled frith
nine differenUy sized drill
bits hat get smaller as
the ~Jellgets deeper, The
metal casmss that line the
hole telescope down,

Well head is

located in

5.067 feet
of \ ater

Liner

BOP
- ~ -

C"

hanger

1:31)"

rt !.!i.il';~f"r
- --'#" - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - ......--.-,

5321 feet

C . 2; 7~'
I
,.,..-----------+I

6 2H feet

~--

CEMENT LINES THE

WELL WAll:
1931 feet

At each pont hen a

casing diameter changes.

C . 3:17

-~-------- ---------------

he joints need to be
sealed. Cemen is pushed
between the casings and
[he bedrock. It protects
the metal v at! from gas
pressure and from ga
leaking up the outside of
he well pipe,

Well

HOW THE GAPS ARE

CLOSED:

C:uing 5: .0-

11585 feet _..- -- -- ..,.,..- ~-- - - - -- - - - - - - -- - -

The space bell een

different size casings is

Annulus-4!

cauec an annulus. Each

annulus i closed off

vnn

an Orino called a liner

13 145 f~.et ...,.,...

hande~

6: i3S/~;

-------~~---------------,----.-

THE FINAL SIDE

SPACE WAS NEVER
CLOSED OFF:
A liner hanger vias not
placed between casings 8
and 9. Drilling engineers

ca..sint 1; 11 ; If:/

1S103 feet

say hat's highly unusual.

A CLEAR SHOT TO

THE SURFACE:
Experts say that' tIe open

C 'R! 8: 9 ;is'
1.-...;.;..;......;.......;;..;:.:.:;;;.;;::.;;.:.;;.;

annulus COl Id be how

-----------------.

6])

--

8~~

-;;:-:::'.

$WF-

Du kS
S,fN1JS

o
~
~
~

os:

30N

Kfoo
O(J)N

:::yl c.n

co

W =t:I:

:::IN

~w

....

tOO

MC252 "A"
Mississippi Canyon 252
(OCS-G-32306)

Interpretation

I
Stratigraphy

Depth
BML
(ft)

Lithology

TWT
BSL
(sec)

Depth
BSL
(ft)

Hazards Risk

Interval
Thickness
(ft)

Comments
Shallow
Gas

Shallow
Water Flow

o:

.::..~ ~~i.:::r.: : : : :.:.:.~;::;,~:~~:~.;~~.~~.:~~~.::.~~~:~.I;,:~~~.;::~~.~

~:.i~::~.:,~:
: ::.:: :.::..:.:.. s t1 Ilijcmtss:IEI
Relatively

UnJt'f

4,992

2.036

250

5,242

2.130

726
844

5.718
5,936

2.304

1,042

6,034

Clay

476 ~

'.'..................9.!.~.~!!~...t... , ~..,..
UNitS

seafloor,

slopes

_3.00 to SE

Clay

Un.'t2

smooth

Clay/Marl

s..,Q4

Interbedded

2.346

2.416

marine

clays

and thin clay-prone

debris

flows

i
:.:(.'.::t., :.~;~.:.:: ::.l.:.:.:.:.: ..

:.:.~~;~~;I~;:.;~~~~I~~;~;!!'t!:~~t~~~!~t~tf.~~'~~t~~~.;~:;i:t::..\;.:.;~~;:.:.::.:.:.:.:
:.::.:.:.:l;.;.; ; ;, .. :.,; .. ;.. ;,;1,,:::

447l

Clay turbidites

;;,,:.:.]

and debris flows

Clay
llr,it 4

~
1,409

:~~:::;~~:::~;
(j) .~:.:.:.~~i~~i::.~~i.t.:~.~~:.~?~:~.:.:.:.:.:.:
1,620

6,481

2.570

6,012

2.014

Clay

~~~~
:::::::::::~~~~~~~~~:~h~~::::::::]
@
UrJlf. f.

1.632

6.624

1,944

6,936

Clay and

possible

;I~CI

~~

2,533

3~,!,Z.
Continuous

7,525

2.912

silts

sands

lt~'

Clays, silts
and sands

3?~/

~""""''''''''''''''',,,,,,,,''"I

7,824

"':';','

...:..:

... ,:

.:.:,Z~;::

3.006

212 !
Clay turbidites
and thin debris flows
1;'2;t'''~~~w~'''C~~ti~~~~~~~~d;~;t;i"i;~iih;h;ii~;g~.,~t~.,~~rth\:;~;
.,, ,.,
tw

Interbedded

2,632

2.722

[~:~.~.t..:..'.:..:..:..:.:.: :.:.:.~:.:.:.:.~..:.:.:.: :.~~: :~~~:~~~~~~:~~~:~.~~.~~:.~.~~~~.~L~i~.:.~~.~~~~!.~~~.:?(~~~.~.~~.~.~~~.~:.~:

:.:.:.~:.:.~.'.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.~:.t.:.:E:.:.L:.:..l'..lT.U.:.:.Ut.,..
.'
.: ... ....;.1

Clay and
possible sands

~~--~~

Unl<

2.685

INJ~

~;~\

..

p..,,",,',," ,.:..I''''

clay turbidites

and thin clay-prone

debris

.--.~.~-.-.--~~~--~-~~~--.--~'"
Massive

clay-prone

debris

flows

flow with possible

with possible

silts

sands

"~.-~-"~---~+"'~~"'I..""I
:L::'~:7:~~
:::::::::::::::::::'::::::

.;. ~~.)
:~.
:~~.

::;:;:;:

@) I ~~~~~~.~~~.~.~~.~~.~
I ~:r,~6"
~',;:':;,:;

:,..~,.;.

It-'?~

Continuous

(,~~;.

.-:,;.;",:

':,,5';r:

.-:,.~'I.':

sands

:-.' :-:.;--

4-6/'
710 :

;;.{.

'.............
)?.~.Rt~
..hmj!...
of InvesUgatlon

s:
III
to

i
g
9
.....
00

o
w

c.n-'

--'"
....
I
;:::Ill
O::!>

to

CO

5,328

10.320

3.734

............

Risk level:'

. ::::.Negllgibl:e:
::;: :.:::.::
"'.

Low

(Unit and Horizon nomenclature

taken from Fugro, 2003)

'updated

5-6-09