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Proof that Mud Engineers have been sent to save the world. [/smug mode]

What I find disgusting is that Transocean, the company that caused the incident, have collected their insurance payout and buggered off and left BP to clean up their mess... Hardly any news programme even mentions the fact that the rig wasn't BP's.

I know. The trouble is that legally the operator (BP) are responsible not the contractor (Transocean).
If I were BP, I'd deal with everything to keep the US happy, then sue the crap out of Transocean.

For saving face that would be the best thing to do.

In the past I've seen BP make Transocean (okay, Global SantaFe, who are now part of Transocean) strip down a BOP on deck and pay the rig rate as the BOP failed two pressure tests. It took over a week. That's several million in lost revenue for Transocean.

On the plus side, it was one of the easiest trips I've ever had offshore.

It should also sue for Transocean's insurance pay out.

Apparently Transocean had an identical problem in the gulf 31 years ago when it was called another company and they tried this capping procedure which failed and it took nine more months before two other wells drew enough pressure off the well to allow it to be capped. That was in 250 ft of water. This is a mirror of that incident except in 5000ft of water.