BP cap stops oil spilling
BP said yesterday its new cap has stopped the oil that has gushed into the Gulf of Mexico for three months and hopes to keep it that way until a relief well can permanently seal the leak next month.
The British energy giant expressed confidence its blown-out Macondo well is intact below the seabed and it would not need to resume a collection system that has been used to siphon oil from the undersea gusher to ships on the surface.
But the official in charge of the US government’s spill response reacted cautiously, saying pressure readings needed to be analysed and tests of the well’s structural integrity that began on Thursday may be extended only in 24-hour increments. “As a condition of the extension, the US government has required significant new monitoring and periodic evaluation and approval by our science team,” said retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen.