While Thad Allen dismisses them as inconsequential and BP refuses to acknowledge them...
Scientists have discovered four gas "seeps" at or near BP's blown-out Macondo well since Saturday, but at this point, the federal government doesn't believe they're a problem and will allow BP to leave the cap on the well for another 24 hours while it watches for signs of ruptures in the underground portion of the well.
Bubbles have been spotted on the seabed about three kilometers away from the well, a few hundred meters from the well, at the base of the original blowout preventer on the well, and coming out of a gasket in the flange on the capping stack that was installed last week.
Retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, the National Incident Commander, said he doesn't believe that the faraway bubbles are related to the Macondo well, and the capping stack bubbles simply indicate that the new device doesn't have a good seal in one spot, so that leaves the nearby spot on the seabed and the base of the blowout preventer as areas of concern.
Bubbles can indicate pathways where oil could soon follow. But Allen said BP and federal officials don't believe the bubbles are problematic at this point because the pressure continues to rise in the well -- albeit slowly -- and seismic, acoustic and sonar monitoring in the area aren't detecting any sudden shifts that would indicate the well blowing out underground.
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/07/gas_seeps_not_necessarily_a_pr.htmlThe seeps are inconsequential unless the well blows! Then we would all know for sure.... :mad: