BP begins 'static kill' operation in bid to finally seal Gulf of Mexico oil well

A boat motors through oil sheen from the Deepwater Horizon spill on Saturday. BP are launching a static kill operation to try and permanently seal the oil well


BP today launched an operation to permanently plug its Gulf of Mexico oil well with cement and mud in a bid to bring to an end the worst spill in U.S. history.

Engineers are set to begin a so-called 'static kill' procedure that will see a stream of mud and cement pumped into the well.

The mile-deep underground reservoir is currently temporarily sealed after a containment cap was placed over the well two weeks ago.






A containment capping stack was placed over the well two weeks ago, temporarily sealing it


It marked the first time BP stopped oil gushing into the Gulf since the leak erupted on April 20 when the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded and sank, killing 11 workers.

BP's static kill plans have been designed to enable the well to be fully sealed, providing the clearest path yet for the crews drilling the relief well to ensure oil can never again erupt from the deep-sea well.

As much as 184 million gallons have spewed into the Gulf since the disaster struck.
But there is still uncertainty surrounding its latest efforts.

When the static kill operation begins, crews will pump heavy mud through pipes installed straight down the throat of the well.

If the mud forces the oil back into the underground reservoir and scientists are confident the pressure remains stable, then engineers can pump in fresh cement to seal it.

Officials may then begin the process of choking the underground reservoir feeding the well by pumping mud and then cement down an 18,000ft relief well.

BP officials have said they believe the process is the only way to plug the well for good, by sealing the source of the oil, not just its route to the sea.

'It could be the beginning of the end,' said Darryl Bourgoyne, director of Petroleum Engineering Research Lab at Louisiana State University.

'The only thing that separates the oil from the sea now is the valve. This puts thousands of feet of mud and cement in between,' said Eric Smith, associate director of the Tulane Energy Institute.

'The idea is to have as many barriers as possible between the ocean and the reservoir. We're adding an extra level of safety.'

The whole procedure is still set to be completed by late August despite a brief evacuation for Tropical Storm Bonnie last week.

As the temperature of Gulf of Mexico waters increases, so does the threat of another violent storm disrupting the cleanup process.

Federal officials are hoping to end the oil threat once and for all before peak hurricane season, which typically lasts from mid-August to late October.

'If we can get this thing shut in permanently before the August hurricane season, we will have dodged a huge bullet,' said Rear Adm. Paul Zukunft, the government's on-scene coordinator.

BP has faced fierce criticism in the U.S. over its handling of the affair and last week confirmed the departure of under-fire boss Tony Hayward in October, to be replaced by American chief Bob Dudley.

It also revealed a £20.8billion blow from the spill in second quarter figures and is now threatened with a drilling ban in the Gulf after U.S. politicians passed a bill proposing to freeze the firm out of new drilling leases for seven years.