BP: No More Oil Leaking from Damaged Well
VOA News
15 July 2010
Oil company BP says there is no oil leaking from a ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico for the first time since a rig exploded in April, sending oil gushing into the Gulf.
A BP official, Kent Wells, said Thursday all valves have been completely shut on a new cap placed on top of the wellhead. He said BP is conducting critical pressure testing on the well over the next several hours to see if the entire system is intact without leaks.
The testing involves closing valves on the cap to determine if it can withstand pressure from the well and effectively contain the leak, estimated at 60,000 barrels of oil each day.
Another BP official, Doug Suttles, said the company's ability to stop the oil is a "great sight," but that it is not yet time to "celebrate".
U.S. President Barack Obama said the news that BP halted the leak is a "positive sign," but he cautioned the procedure is still in the testing phase. He said he will have more to say about the matter on Friday.
The latest effort to shut the well is a major move in stopping the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Steps must still be taken to completely cap the oil, in the form of relief wells, one of which should be complete in the next few weeks.
BP stock prices rose sharply in U.S. trading, after the company announced oil had stopped leaking from the well.
The oil leak began after an April 20 explosion of the BP-leased Deepwater Horizon oil rig killed 11 crewmen. The disaster has fouled vast expanses of the U.S. Gulf coast, killed birds and sea life and devastated the region's fishing and tourism.
Earlier Thursday, BP resumed the pressure testing of its containment cap on the ruptured oil well, after fixing a leaky pipe on the side of the structure.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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