Top Kill

The English term Top Kill is a procedure to stop a blowout of an oil or gas well and bring it under control.

When Top Kill drilling fluid is injected into the well. If the well bore can be thus sufficiently filled, the hydrostatic pressure of the mud column to stop the gas and oil flow. Subsequently, the well can be sealed eg with cement.

Application

Top Kill was, for example, applied for the sealing of the burning oil fields in Kuwait, which had been set by the retreating Iraqi troops during the Second Gulf War in fire. The process gained beyond the scope of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 notoriety. This was inserted for several hours drilling mud, so as to close an oil well on the seabed, but this was unsuccessful.