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Obama: Gulf Well Capping 'Good News'

   VOA News 16 July 2010
   BP's Skandi ROV2 feed, 16 July 2010

Photo: BP

   BP's Skandi ROV2 feed, 16 July 2010

   President  Barack Obama says [1]BP's capping of the Gulf of Mexico oil
   spill  is "good news" -- but cautioned that it is not yet clear if the
   cap will stay in place and permanently stop the flow of oil.
   Speaking  at  the  White  House  Friday,  Mr.  Obama  said  government
   scientists  and outside experts have been analyzing data from tests on
   the cap.
   Encouraging progress
   BP executives say they are encouraged by the early test results on the
   containment  cap  holding  back  oil  from the ruptured Gulf of Mexico
   well.
   BP  spokesman Steve Rinehart told VOA Friday that pressure readings on
   the  cap  continue to rise, which is a good sign. He said low pressure
   readings would indicate the well could be leaking oil elsewhere.
   Rinehart said remotely operated underwater vehicles monitoring the sea
   floor  around  the  well  have  so  far revealed no evidence of oil or
   natural gas leaks.
   The  capping  operation was completed late Thursday, stopping the flow
   of oil for the first time since April.
   Extensive spillage 
   Government estimates say as much as 60,000 barrels of oil per day were
   escaping into the Gulf of Mexico.
   Rinehart  said  that  while  early  stages  of  this  test  have  been
   encouraging,  BP  is  moving ahead with the drilling of a relief well,
   designed  to  intercept the ruptured well and permanently seal it with
   mud  and cement. That effort is expected to be completed in the middle
   of August.
   President  Obama, in the meantime, said the job of cleaning up the oil
   and addressing the needs of the people of the Gulf region remains.
   The  president has faced criticism that his administration was slow to
   respond  to  the  initial explosion of the BP-leased Deepwater Horizon
   oil  rig  on  April  20.  The blast killed 11 crewmen and triggered a
   leak that has spewed millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf.
   The oil spill is the worst in U.S. history.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.

References

   1. http://www.bp.com/bodycopyarticle.do?categoryId=1&contentId=7052055

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