Engineers plan to begin another attempt to stop the gusher of oil flowing into the Gulf of Mexico today. Known as "top kill," the procedure will pump heavy drilling mud into the top of the leak, forcing the oil down. If it's successful, BP says it may permanently stop the oil, however company officials said the procedure has never been attempted a mile underwater, reports The New York Times.

The consequences for BP are profound: A successful capping of the leaking well could finally begin to mend the company's brittle image after weeks of failed efforts, and perhaps limit the damage to wildlife and marine life from reaching catastrophic levels.

A failure could mean several months more of leaking oil, devastating economic and environmental impacts across the gulf region, and mounting financial liabilities for the company. BP has already spent an estimated $760 million in fighting the spill, and two relief wells it is drilling as a last resort to seal the well may not be completed until August.

The procedure may take up to two days to complete, BP said in a statement, and the company will show a video of the operation.

Previous Comments

ID

157973

Comment

They better hurry up. The Ragin' Cajun is fed up with Barry's lackadaisical response.

Author

jbreland

Date

2010-05-26T19:44:24-06:00