Obama says BP's problems have not ended

16th Jul 2010 07:04

President Obama says that BP's apparently successful attempt to cap its leak in the Gulf of Mexico is good news but it is not the end of its problems. Obama says a permanent solution is needed before it is certain that the leak has been ended and all the oil is being captured. This involves the drilling of relief wells.A relief well is due to be completed by the middle of August. Obama is quoted as saying "I don't' want us to get too far ahead of ourselves". He intends to visit the Gulf region in the next few weeks. BP confirmed on Friday morning that it has succeeded in stopping the flow of oil pouring into the Gulf of Mexico for the first time in three months. The shutdown is part of an "integrity test" to see if the leaking wellhead can finally be contained. The test started last night and could last up to 48 hours. It is expected that no oil will be released into the ocean during the test. However, the group cautioned that this does not mean that the flow of oil has been permanently stopped. Information gathered during the test will be reviewed with the relevant government agencies to determine the next steps. Yesterday, US politicians passed a bill that could effectively ban BP from any new drilling in US waters for seven years. A House committee agreed measures to stop any company that's caused 10 deaths or more during operations from obtaining offshore oil exploration permits.