Reply #22: IIRC they spent around a week trying to use the Blow out preventer valve manually with the ROV's

[jp11]

once they knew there was a leak, after that failed they spent another week making the giant caps or were making them from the start as they tried the Blow out preventer valve. Next they tried the other cap/dome when the 2nd one failed due to a clogged port. Why they couldn't unplug the port, I don't know, why they couldn't have a hose of some sort connected to the port as it descended or in the last 50ft I don't know. Then they spent a couple more days on the suction pipe that has been on for almost a week or so. My perception of the times is no doubt wrong but loosely close to how things transpired or were reported.

Feel free to check it out yourself on the web and:
http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/543771/

Why it takes so long to get the next idea off the ground I don't know, do they wait for the current to fail before getting to work, I don't know. Those answers might be somewhere but I lose interest trying to sift through all the information I think the media should be asking BP and the government especially when they have plans A, B, C, D, E, F, etc and a timetable of their own.

We are also told that plugging the leak is not a fix as the only permanent fix is to drill relief wells, again I do not know anything about deep sea oil wells and the reliability of any plugging to be done on a well drilled however deep it is in the actual sea floor for the Macondo oil field from the 5000ft of water to reach the floor is something I've heard questioned which is how they have said the relief well is the only permanent solution.