GULF OIL SPILL

BP Plans to Stop Oil Leak (No, Really)

BP may be able to hold back the flow from its blown out Macondo well until next month, sparing the Gulf of Mexico any more oil as engineers prepare to kill the source for good.

Doug Suttles, BP's chief operating officer, said that a new cap fitted on the well's broken riser pipe last week will be kept closed indefinitely, blocking further oil from leaking into the water, while scientists continue a "well integrity test" to check for leaks below the sea bed.

Unless data readings taken inside the well indicate trouble, he said, BP hoped to keep the cap shut "all the way along to the point where we can get the well killed" - a procedure that is due to begin in the final days of July and should be complete by 13 August. 

The kill process is the only method that can end the crisis, sealing the well permanently with mud and cement, though keeping the cap closed should ensure that no further oil is spilled in the meantime. Scotsman

Could it be true? Could the end be near? At this point I am not getting my hopes up. I am just glad that after months of agonizing suspense I can feel 100% confident that this will not affect mini season... at least not this year.

Its nice to know that our trip to the keys will not be interrupted but I can't help to think about what damage this could do to the reefs. Hopefully BP can actually shut this thing off finally, especially since they opened it up last week and have been letting it spew oil unabated in order to put this new cap on.