Feds tamp down fears leaks mean BP well unstable
Feds tamp down fears leaks mean BP well unstable
By FREDERIC J. FROMMER and COLLEEN LONG, Associated Press Writers Frederic J. Frommer And Colleen Long, Associated Press Writers – 1 min ago
WASHINGTON – The federal government’s oil spill chief said Tuesday that seepage two miles from BP’s oil cap is coming from another well, tamping down fears that leaks mean the ruptured well is unstable.
Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen also said five leaks in and around BP’s well are more like “drips,” and aren’t yet reason to worry.
The leaks and seepage had raised concerns that the mechanical cap choking off the flow of oil was displacing pressure and forcing oil out deep underground. That could make the sea floor unstable and make the 3-month-old environmental disaster even worse and harder to fix.
Allen said the well appears stable, and he extended testing of the experimental cap by another day, which means the oil will remain shut in.
The cap is buying time until a permanent plug is in place. Crews are drilling into the side of the ruptured well from deep underground, and by next week, they could start blasting in mud and cement to block off the well for good. Killing the well deep underground works more reliably than bottling it up with a cap.