Gulf spill: BP fits cap on leaking oil pipe
Updated on 04 June 2010
BP has lowered a cap onto the well that is leaking oil into the Gulf of Mexico after successfully cutting free the oil pipe, as a 'furious' Barack Obama sets the preliminary bill for the spill $69m.
While BP has yet to confirm the placement of the containment cap, the company's underwater camera showed robots lowering what appeared to be a cap onto the ruptured wellhead last night.
With the cap in place, the oil giant should begin funnelling oil and gas to the surface.
Meanwhile, the US President told CNN that he was "furious at this entire situation", as he billed BP for a preliminary $69m in damages. Total costs are estimated to stand at $1 bn.
Mr Obama is due to review the clean-up operation further in a visit to the region later today.
At a news briefing yesterday, US Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen said the placement of the cap was "another positive development" in BP's efforts.
"However, it will be some time before we can confirm that this method will work and to what extent it will mitigate the release of oil into the environment," he added.
Efforts to cut the pipe off the damaged Lower Marine Riser Package (LMRP) were delayed yesterday when a mechanical saw on one of the remotely operated submarines became stuck. Now they have removed the damaged section of pipe, and a containment cap designed to fit over the entire LMRP has been lowered in place.
There is still no guarantee the approach will work. Previous efforts to stem the flow of oil in this way failed when gas dissolved in the oil stream froze inside the cap, blocking the pipe that was to return oil to the surface.
This time heated seawater and oil dispersants are being piped into the cap to help avoid the problem.
It is a gamble by BP. The act of cutting the pipe off the top of the LMRP has increased the amount of oil spilling into the gulf by about 20 per cent, according to company estimates. If efforts to cap the spill are delayed, the outlook for the Gulf environment is worse that it was before.
Underwater footage of the operation is now coming from 12 separate remote subs or (ROVs).
