Since they are attempting a top kill we must assume that they have simulated that it is possible to kill the well with the mud weight/flow/HP available. They have all the top blow out experts in the world working for them. But theory and practice is not always the same…I really hope they are succesfull!
Edit: A total of 50,000 barrels of mud will be on location to kill the well – far more than necessary, but we want to be prepared for anything. Pumping capacity on location is more than 30,000 hydraulic horsepower.
The mud will be pumped down the 6-5/8 inch drill pipe (pipe is connected to the Q4000), then through 3-inch hoses, which go through the manifold on the seafloor. Then the mud moves through another set of 3-inch hoses attached to the Deepwater Horizon BOP choke and kill lines.