BP's Relief Well Effort Delayed by U.S. Concerns Over Risk of Oil Release

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Source: Bloomberg

BP Plc’s relief well and bottom-kill procedure, aimed at permanently plugging its Gulf of Mexico Macondo well, is suspended until the company completes an analysis of complications that might result in a new oil leak.

BP determined that 1,000 barrels of oil remain trapped in the well after cement was pumped in from the top earlier this month. Now U.S. officials fear some of that could be released, or new leaks may form, when the company pumps in more mud and cement into the bottom of the well for the final plug.

The London-based company will probably need until Aug. 17 to come up with a plan for the so-called bottom kill that won’t result in an uncontrolled release of crude, National Incident Commander Thad Allen said during a conference call with reporters yesterday.

“The risk right now is the 1,000 barrels, and BP will have directions to mitigate that,” he said. “We will take care of that before we do any bottom kill.”

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-15/bp-s-relief-well-effort-delayed-by-u-s-concerns-over-risk-of-oil-release.html