Have BP capped the leak?

On Thursday BP's latest efforts to cap the leak appear to be successful. The worst oil spill in the history of the US has now been stemmed for two days and there are high hopes that the spill is over. After three months of oil leaking continuously into the surrounding ocean BP engineers have finally managed to fix the broken well.

BP are encouraged by the pressure in the well which has reached 6,700 psi (pounds per square inch) If 6000 psi was not reached the caps reliability would be diminished but at around 8000psi confidence in the cap would be high. BP senior vice president Kent Wells reported that, "It has been a very steady build as would be predicted." Pressure readings will now be taken regularly in order to check that no new leaks develop.

President Barack Obama has stated: "I think that it is a positive sign," but emphasised the fact that the cap was still in its testing phase. Although the news of the cap is incredibly welcome BP still needs to carry out 48 hours worth of tests to check that the well will remain sealed. Two relief wells will be drilled at the end of July to permanently halt the well by sealing it with mud and cement. BP is likely to release the oil again after the test in order to siphon it off to ships until it can seal it permanently.

The spill has wrecked havoc along the US coast and had a massive impact on the Gulf. Retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen said, "we're encouraged by this development, but this isn't over." The damage to the surrounding environment will be lasting and the area will take many years to recover. The spill shut down a third of fisheries, damaged wildlife and habitat and hampered the areas tourist trade. The coastal communities have had their lives turned upside down by the incident and the news of the leak being capped is a relief to all involved.

The cost to BP will also be severe; analysts have estimated the BP could be forced to part with $63-100 billion over the next 15 years due to fines, cleanup costs and legal expenses. As well as the financial damage BP's reputation in the US has been shredded, its potential for future business in the country is questionable. Although all parties are relieved and hopeful about the halt to the flow the consequences of the spill are far from over.

Author: Rachael Bristow | Climate Action

Image: Nasa Goddard Photo and Video | Flickr