CNN 2010-07-19

It's another day, another setback¹ in the Gulf² oil spill disaster. Here's the latest news on day 87 of this Gulf oil crisis. Equipment that BP was using to help stop the oil gushing³ into the water from a ruptured⁴ well, well that is now leaking. That forced an immediate⁵ stop to the crucial testing that had gotten underway. The government's point man on the crisis, Admiral Thad Allen, who we've heard so much from, he concedes that the experts wrestled⁶ with the decision and sided with caution. A cautious approach, he says.

 

Just minutes ago the oil company announced that it is working around the problem and hopes to resume testing sometime this afternoon. We'll stay on top of it for you. So we want to go to the ground now and get the very latest developments. And for that, we go to CNN's David Mattingly. He is in New Orleans. Another setback, another day, another setback, David.

 

Well, Don, another setback, but now another step forward. We've got word from BP now that they have been able to remove the leaking line that they had on there, replace it, and now they're back on track to get this all-important pressure testing of this well going again. They've got a lot of things they've got to do now. They've got to test the seals. They've got to bring the ROVs back online. But again, they are back on track. This leak costing them probably about 24 hours in this process, but they are prepared to move forward again.

 

Another bit of good news that we found out in the technical briefing was that the oil that we saw spewing out in the Gulf was only a fraction of the oil that's coming out of there. A lot, they were able to restore the collection procedures to the Q4000 and healer producer up on the surface so they were bringing up a lot of that oil that they were before up to the containment⁷ vessels⁸ on the surface. When they get closer and get ready to close this cap in again, they will cut that off and try to do what they were not able to do last night.

 

Everything seemed to be going so well originally when they closed that first valve and they were able to shut off the oil that was spewing out of the top of that, but that's when they discovered the leak in the choke line, but again they removed the choke line overnight, were able to replace it and now they're going to get back on track with what they had planned and what Thad Allen laid out for us yesterday.

 

David, is there a timeline in all of this?

 

They're not really putting out a timeline because they're sort of feeling their way through this. They've got to make sure that that cap is going to be able to close the way they want it to. They're going to start doing that a little later this morning and maybe by this afternoon they're going to be able to start resuming their plans to engage with that pressure checking to see if the well can handle the pressure once they close it all up. And again, that's going to be important because they're going to be getting information that's going to help them when they finally have the final solution where they're drilling down with that relief well to fill it up with cement. So this is going to be very important over the next 48 hours to see what they learn and what they can do with this. One of the hopes is that in the interim⁹, they'll be able to cap this well and essentially¹⁰ make it hurricane-proof because of a tropical storm or if a hurricane comes through, they'll have to stop all those surface collection operations and move them out for safety. Meanwhile, all the oil would be leaking into the Gulf if they're not able to cap this. So, again, back on track. The next 48 hours, we're going to see how this well works and how this well can handle the pressure as BP continues to go through their technical procedures to make it happen

1 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。

2 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

3 gushing   

adj.迸出的；涌出的；喷出的；过分热情的v.喷，涌( gush的现在分词 )；滔滔不绝地说话

参考例句：

• blood gushing from a wound 从伤口冒出的血
• The young mother was gushing over a baby. 那位年轻的母亲正喋喋不休地和婴儿说话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 ruptured   

v.（使）破裂( rupture的过去式和过去分词 )；（使体内组织等）断裂；使（友好关系）破裂；使绝交

参考例句：

• They reported that the pipeline had ruptured. 他们报告说管道已经破裂了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The wall through Berlin was finally ruptured, prefiguring the reunification of Germany. 柏林墙终于倒塌了，预示着德国的重新统一。 来自辞典例句

5 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

6 wrestled   

v.（与某人）搏斗( wrestle的过去式和过去分词 )；扭成一团；扭打；（与…）摔跤

参考例句：

• As a boy he had boxed and wrestled. 他小的时候又是打拳又是摔跤。
• Armed guards wrestled with the intruder. 武装警卫和闯入者扭打起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 containment   

n.阻止，遏制；容量

参考例句：

• Your list might include such things as cost containment,quality,or customer satisfaction.你的清单上应列有诸如成本控制、产品质量、客户满意程度等内容。
• Insularity and self-containment,it is argued,go hand in hand.他们争论说，心胸狭窄和自我封闭是并存的。

8 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

10 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。