KENNER, La., May 11 (Reuters) - BP Plc did not report problems with gas pockets, called 'kicks', during the drilling of an oil well now gushing thousands of barrels of crude oil in the Gulf of Mexico, a U.S. Minerals Management Service engineer told a federal investigation on Tuesday.
Frank Patton, a drilling engineer for the U.S. Minerals Management Service, said weekly reports filed by BP showed no such problems.
Patton said another engineer reviewed the reports for him prior his testimony on Tuesday afternoon before an investigating board run by the U.S. Coast Guard and the MMS.
'He didn't see any information about them taking kicks,' Patton said.
Survivors of a deadly April 20 explosion on the drilling rig Deepwater Horizon have said methane erupted up the well, flooding the drilling floor with the explosive gas before a devastating explosion that killed 11 people.
Everything seemed to be going well with the drilling being done by the Deepwater Horizon, Patton said.
'We didn't have any indications of any problems going on,' Patton said.
The board is attempting to determine the cause of the explosion, which ignited a fire that led to the sinking of Deepwater Horizon.
The well is gushing an estimated 5,000 barrels of crude oil per day into to the Gulf. The oil threatens the environment and economy of at least four Gulf Coast states.
(Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Marguerita Choy) Keywords: OIL RIG/LEAK MMS (erwin.seba@thomsonreuters.com; +1 713 210 8508; Reuters Messaging: erwin.seba.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
Frank Patton, a drilling engineer for the U.S. Minerals Management Service, said weekly reports filed by BP showed no such problems.
Patton said another engineer reviewed the reports for him prior his testimony on Tuesday afternoon before an investigating board run by the U.S. Coast Guard and the MMS.
'He didn't see any information about them taking kicks,' Patton said.
Survivors of a deadly April 20 explosion on the drilling rig Deepwater Horizon have said methane erupted up the well, flooding the drilling floor with the explosive gas before a devastating explosion that killed 11 people.
Everything seemed to be going well with the drilling being done by the Deepwater Horizon, Patton said.
'We didn't have any indications of any problems going on,' Patton said.
The board is attempting to determine the cause of the explosion, which ignited a fire that led to the sinking of Deepwater Horizon.
The well is gushing an estimated 5,000 barrels of crude oil per day into to the Gulf. The oil threatens the environment and economy of at least four Gulf Coast states.
(Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Marguerita Choy) Keywords: OIL RIG/LEAK MMS (erwin.seba@thomsonreuters.com; +1 713 210 8508; Reuters Messaging: erwin.seba.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.