With BP close to intercepting its stricken Gulf of Mexico well with a relief well, the government said Wednesday that the final sealing of the once-gushing well might occur this weekend.
Thad W. Allen, the retired Coast Guard admiral who is leading the federal response effort, said in a briefing in Kenner, La., that the relief well was within 25 feet of the interception point, nearly 13,000 feet below the seabed. Drilling resumed on Monday after being suspended for several weeks while the company replaced pressure-control equipment atop the well.
Once the interception occurs, engineers will assess the condition of the stricken well’s annulus, the space between the casing pipe and the surrounding rock. Admiral Allen said it was expected that a decision would then be made to pump cement into the annulus to create a final seal.
“Four days from now, it could be all done,” he said.
The well leaked an estimated 4.9 million barrels, or about 205 million gallons, of oil into the gulf after the Deepwater Horizon drill rig exploded and sank in late April. No appreciable amount of oil or gas has leaked since July 15, when valves on a newly installed cap at the wellhead were closed.
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