Retired US Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said today that attempts to remove several pieces of pipe in the Macondo well's blowout preventer has stopped and plans are now under way to remove the BOP and replace it with a new unit

摘要

Allen said that the capping stack will be removed and stored on the seabed nearby. By Tuesday or Wednesday, Allen said the recovery teams will attempt to pull the BOP free by using up to 80,000 pounds of force in a move he called "the gentle pull." If the BOP doesn't come free, he said the rams will be manually opened and then the pipe will be cut off below the BOP. He said that once the BOP is pulled free, a new unit will be installed by Development Driller II. Allen said that weather will be the key item that could delay operations. Allen also said the pipes in the BOP are not connected to the drill pipe and are too fragile to be picked up. Engineers originally thought that three pieces of pipe were recoverable.