BP's 'static kill' plugs leaking well

4th Aug 2010 07:42

It's looking like BP may have sealed the leaking Maconda well in the Gulf of Mexico by pumping it full of mud from vessels on the surface - a process known as "static kill". The procedure started at 9pm UK time on Tuesday and continued for the next eight hours. The well now "appears to have reached a static condition", BP said this morning, claiming a "significant milestone" in its attempt to bring an end to the disaster.Well pressure is now being controlled by the hydrostatic pressure of the drilling mud, although the company will keep monitoring the situation and may pump in more mud if required. It could also decide to top the mud up with cement A leading US official has also said about three quarters of the oil spill has disappeared.Speaking on morning television in the States, White House energy adviser Carol Browner said: "It was captured. It was skimmed. It was burned. It was contained. Mother Nature did her part.""This is an initial assessment by our scientists in the government and outside the government. We think it's important to make this available to the public."But it's the relief wells that remain the "ultimate solution". Drilling has been suspended during the static kill operations, but the first relief well is on target to intercept the Macondo well mid-August.A temporary seal had been in place for two weeks. About 60,000 barrels of oil a day has been spilling out since the well blew up on 20 April killing 11 workers on the Deepwater Horizon platform. The worst environmental disaster in American history also led to a pre-tax loss of $17bn in the second quarter and the departure of under-fire chief executive Tony Hayward. A series of asset sales to help pay for the clean-up operation saw BP sell businesses in Colombia yesterday for $1.9bn (£1.2bn).