Why are we flaring both oil and gas at the Q4000?

The Enterprise will continue to contain the majority of the leaking oil via the “Top Cap” system but it does not have the capacity to contain all of the oil and gas coming from the well. The Q4000 has served well as the host for managing the Horizon BOP control systems and it will continue in this role but will now also be used to help reduce the oil and gas going to sea. Unfortunately, it does not have the available deck space or storage capacity to enable it to process and store significant volumes of oil. With these limitations, the safest and most practical way to dispose of the oil is to burn it in a controlled manner.

Why can't you barge the oil to shore?

There are two reasons why we cannot do this.

1) Storing oil on the Q4000 - There is no oil storage capacity on the Q4000 and no possibility to add this as it would require the removal of the Q4000 from the field where it is currently performing a critical function.

2) Direct transfer of oil to a barge for storage - Given the number of vessels in the area there would be significant safety risks in trying to flow oil from the Q4000 to a barge on a continuous basis at the moment.

What volumes are you flaring?

The MMS has authorized us to burn up to 12,000 bpd of oil and flare up to 50 mmcfpd of
gas. We anticipate the actual volumes flared will be generally lower than this.

Will it be smoky?

We will use a specific burner type which has been selected because it provides very high combustion efficiency. Based on the burner vendor’s previous experience of flaring oil with this equipment, we anticipate very limited smoking.

What are the implications to my health?

We have modelled emissions through a range of conditions. Crews on board the Q4000 and surrounding vessels are protected from exposing to airborne contaminants from the burning operations. To ensure this, we are actively monitoring air quality during the burning phase and taking appropriate steps to minimize or stop exposure, when required. We will change vessel positions to minimize the impact to people in different weather conditions. Continuous real-time air monitoring is conducted and respiratory protection is implemented when airborne contaminants approach the action levels or lowest levels for health concerns. Respirators have been provided to personnel working this area.

The initial modeling has been done to evaluate the potential for shoreline impact. Because of the long distance to shore and the burner’s high combustion efficiency, no adverse impact is expected and this will be further confirmed through modeling and on- going monitoring. Air quality monitoring is being conducted daily along the Gulf Coast and will continue as long as needed.

How long will BP flare or burn the oil?

Currently, we expect to burn oil for between 4 and 6 weeks. Additional vessels that can contain and offload oil are being outfitted and deployed. When sufficient additional production capacity is available, we will seek to minimize and then eliminate the burning of oil. Flaring of natural gas will continue until the relief wells are complete and the flow stopped.

What impacts would a hurricane have on the operation?

The operation would be shut down and the Q4000 would leave the area until the hurricane and/or threat of hurricane had passed.

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