BP Says Cap is Containing All Oil So Far

So far, it sounds like the cap is working. According to BP, their latest attempt to stop the oil gushing from their offshore rig and into the Gulf of Mexico is currently containing the leak, and that for the first time since April, no oil is escaping the well.

This isn’t a permanent fix:Engineers are currently running a well integrity test that could take anywhere between six and twenty-four hours. When that’s done with, BP’s next objective is to stop the leak at its source: BP engineers next aim to drill relief wells to “reach the gusher underground and plug it permanently with heavy drilling mud and cement.”

Even if they can permanently stop the flow of oil, there’ll be a lot of environmental damage in the Gulf to reckon with, not only from the oil that’s already leaked, but from the chemical dispersant BP has been using to break it up at the water’s surface. We’re hopeful that the cap holds up and the next phase proceeds smoothly so we can move on from containing the oil to the long recovery ahead.

(via MSNBC)

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Robert Quigley