BP s estimated volume is 75-140 bbls. Drilling mud is typically composed of predominantly seawater, ground up clay and a polymer. It may also contain small quantities of petroleum and methanol. The polymer makes the mud thicker and heavier to assist in sealing the drilling hole. The mud lubricates the drill bit, carries cuttings to the surface and helps seal the side of the drill hole.
Investigation is ongoing on the actual contents of the discharged drilling mud.
The weather at the site has improved and the cleanup at the site continues. At this time there are 17 responders and 1 operator working at incident site. The crews are using four snowmobiles with trailers, and an autocar with a dumpbox to remove the contaminated snow. The crews have recovered a total of 340 yards of contaminated snow as of today and the area cleaned up to approximately 160 yards outward from the pad. On this site the workers are making frequent crew changes so they can warm in the warm-up shacks and buses that have been provided.