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Tropical Storm Bonnie Puts Gulf Oil Spill Efforts on Hold

   VOA News 23 July 2010
   This  image  provided by NOAA taken late on 22 Jul 2010 shows Tropical
   Storm Bonnie as she steamed through the central Bahamas while tracking
   a  course  that  could take it over the site of the Gulf of Mexico oil
   spill

Photo: AP

   This  image  provided by NOAA taken late on 22 Jul 2010 shows Tropical
   Storm Bonnie as she steamed through the central Bahamas while tracking
   a  course  that  could take it over the site of the Gulf of Mexico oil
   spill

   Efforts  to  permanently plug [1]BP's ruptured oil well in the Gulf of
   Mexico  have  suffered a setback, as crews were forced to evacuate the
   area under threat from approaching Tropical Storm Bonnie. Â
   The  head  of the U.S. government's response team, retired Coast Guard
   Admiral  Thad  Allen,  said  ships and rigs were moving out "of harm's
   way."Â  Among the vessels being moved was a drill rig that was working
   on  a relief well, which is considered to be the permanent solution to
   sealing the broken well.
   The containment cap that has prevented oil from spilling into the Gulf
   for  the  past  week will remain despite the halt in operations, which
   could last up to almost two weeks. Â
   The  U.S.  National  Weather  Service said Tropical Storm Bonnie, with
   winds  of  up  to  65  kilometers  per  hour, is expected to move over
   southern  Florida Friday before reaching the Gulf of Mexico, including
   the site of the spill, on Saturday.
   Louisiana  Governor Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency to help
   speed up federal assistance to affected areas.
   Oil  company BP hopes to have its ruptured well sealed off for good by
   early August. Â
   The  containment  cap has halted the daily flow of an estimated 60,000
   barrels of oil. Â
   The  disaster began after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded April
   20,  killing  11 people and leading to the worst offshore oil spill in
   U.S. history.

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

References

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

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