rigs Ensco 87, Rowan Cecil Provine:gas migration

Rowan Cecil Provine l, and  Ensco 87 r

The Rowan Cecil Provine rig is moving to a location in the Gulf of Mexico about 50 miles east of Venice, La., in case it's needed to drill a relief well after workers on an Apache Corp. well had to activate its blowout preventer

Problems first arose on Feb. 4, when workers on the Ensco 87 jackup rig detected a kick, or uncontrolled flow of fluid, in the well. In response, they activated a blowout preventer, which apparently was successful in keeping natural gas from escaping the well.

Later testing showed that gas had migrated from the bottom of the 8,300-foot well to a shallower sand formation 1,100 feet below the seabed.

 The natural gas well is in 218 feet of water about 50 miles east of Venice, La.