BREAKING: BP, Scientists Try to Make Sense of Well Puzzle -- Pressure Readings Not as HIgh as Expected

At the end of a long day, BP is not sure if they are going to have to open back up the cap to release some oil as pressure readings are lower than expected. Is there a leak somewhere in the well? No one knows for sure as the other answer to lower pressure that the reservoir is running low after three months doesn't make a lot of sense. Testing will go into the night before BP decides if they are going to release more oil in the Gulf.

We certainly hope that everything goes well and the people of the Gulf States can get some good news for a change.

BP, Scientists Try to Make Sense of Well Puzzle
Updated: 19 minutes ago

Harry R. Weber, Holbrook Mohr and Vicki Smith
AP

NEW ORLEANS (July 16) - In a nail-biting day across the Gulf Coast, engineers struggled to make sense of puzzling pressure readings from the bottom of the sea Friday, trying to determine whether BP's capped oil well was holding tight or in danger of springing a new leak.

No immediate leaks were spotted, which was encouraging. But midway through the testing period on the new temporary cap that was bottling up the crude inside the well, the pressure readings were not rising as high as expected, said retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the government's point man on the crisis.

Allen said two possible reasons were being debated by scientists: The reservoir that is the source of the oil could be running lower than expected three months into the spill. Or there could be an undiscovered leak somewhere down in the well. Allen ordered further study but remained confident.

"This is generally good news," he said. But he cautioned, "We need to be careful not to do any harm or create a situation that cannot be reversed."

He said the testing would go on into the night, at which point BP may decide whether to reopen the cap and allow some oil to spill into the sea again.

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