FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the federal government’s point man in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, said Monday that work on two relief wells BP is drilling to seal off the damaged main well is progressing ahead of schedule, but he cautioned delays could still arise.

“Development Driller III, depth below the sea floor is 10,677 feet,” Allen said. ”They’re in a position now where they’re closing on the wellbore. They’re going to do something that’s called ranging where they actually send electrical current down the wellbore.

“That puts out an electromagnetic field around the wellbore and it could actually read that. It allows them to get an accurate reading about how far away from the pipe — the wellbore they are getting as they get closer to making the intercept here in the next few weeks. But that ranging operation is scheduled to start in the next 24 hours. Development Driller II is 4,662 feet below the sea floor.”

He said completion of the first relief well is expected the second week of August.

“They are slightly ahead of schedule, but I am not coming off the second week in August date, because as we know things can happen. But right now second week of August is the goal.”

Allen acknowledged, however, there are a lot of unknowns about the stability of the original wellbore, and how it might react when attempts are made to seal it.

He said, “When the mud goes in the wellbore, it will go up and down and fill it, and when it does that it’ll — if there’s any problem with the wellbore and the casings, it will just be mud going out into the formation or the strata and not oil. One of the reasons we’re venting the oil out of the containment cap right now is we don’t want to put too much pressure down in the well just in case there is a problem with the wellbore.

“But it’s a generalized concern. I think everybody’s known it for a fair amount of time. It’s something just to be taken account when we’re laying out the plans.”

For the full story, pick up a copy of the June 23 Fairhope Courier.