Government scientists estimate as much as 60,000 barrels of oil per day are gushing into the Gulf of Mexico due to the ongoing BP oil spill. But now there are new questions as to whether additional oil is spilling from hundreds or thousands of other well heads in the Gulf.

An Associated Press investigation found that 27,000 well heads are sealed shut in the sea floor, 600 of which are owned by BP. According to the AP, no one is really keeping an eye on these well heads, checking the seals and concrete casings. Not the Oil Industry and not the U.S. government. Out in Federal Waters, it appears that out of sight is out of mind.

The article reads:
“Since companies may put a temporarily abandoned well back into service, such holes typically will be sealed with fewer plugs, less testing and a metal cap to stop corrosion from sea water.
In the Deepwater Horizon blowout, investigators believe the cement may have failed, perhaps never correctly setting deep within the well. Sometimes gas bubbles form as cement hardens, providing an unwanted path for oil or gas to burst through the well and reach the surface.
The other key part of an abandoned wells — the steel pipe liner known as casing — can also rust through over time.
MMS personnel do sometimes spot smaller oily patches on the Gulf during flyovers. Operators are also supposed to report any oil sheens they encounter. Typically, though, MMS learns of a leak only when someone spots it by chance.
In the end, the Coast Guard’s Marine Safety Laboratory handles little more than 200 cases of oil pollution each year.”

As for the Deepwater Horizon scene today, once again, heavy winds and 3 to 6 foot waves are seriously hampering all efforts to contain, skim and collect spilled oil. But, there are a couple of promising developments, despite the weather.

One, the Helix Producer, a large oil collection vessel, is on the scene and BP has partially connected the ship to the riser pipe. Once it is connected and fully operational, the Helix will double the amount of oil collected daily, from an average of 25,000 barrels a day to 53,000 barrels a day. That would mean all but 7,000 barrels of spilling oil would be collected–if the 60,000 barrel estimate truly is the top end.

Secondly, the relief wells are a week ahead of schedule. The 1st is currently at 17,700 feet below the surface, the 2nd is just under 14,000 feet below the surface. BP says once the relief well intercepts the leaking well, heavy mud and cement will be used to stop this gusher once and for all and seal the leak shut. The 3 month process to accomplish this originally was to happen in August, but if everything works perfectly, and the relief well seals the leak, it could happen by the end of July. And that would be slightly more than three months since this disaster began in the first place, when the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded in an enormous fireball and inferno, April 20th, killing 11 workers.