By Celsias team
BP has warned that the gushing leak from its Macondo well on the Gulf Coast may not be stopped until August but deny scientists claims that additional leaks have sprung.
Now into its 43rd day, the spill – having already surpassed the Exxon Valdez as the largest in US history – is predicted by some to become the country’s biggest environmental disaster.
The failure of the weekend’s “top kill” mission – in which engineers tried to stem the flow of oil by injecting mud at high speed into the well – has all but extinguished any glimmer of hope the catastrophe may be nearing an end, with some scientists saying it will likely get worse before it improves.
Yesterday the oil giant refuted studies by several US universities which claim additional large underwater plumes of oil have been detected. BP chief executive Tony Hayward said there was no evidence of this, and that the spill was contained to the surface.
The final amount of oil spilt is significant as the eventual fine the company will pay will be measured on a per-barrel, per-day basis. The US government has said this figure will likely reach into the billions.
Hope for final containment is now being placed on two ‘relief wells’ currently being drilled, which will act to intercept and cap the leaking well. In the meantime, BP is preparing for a new attempt on stemming the flow, which will see the top of the damaged riser cut off so that a valve can be attached to divert the oil into a pipe.
Meanwhile, the country is anxiously awaiting the start of the hurricane season this week, which could push the spill deeper into marshlands and estuaries along the Louisiana coast.
Image by Deepwater Horizon Response
