Three days after BP installed a cap on the blown well in the Gulf — and nearly three months after the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sunk — the company said Sunday it will remain in place until the well is permanently closed.
So is this officially the end of the gusher? Hard to say, given the garbled, cryptic announcement from BP.
"Right now there is no target set to open the well back up to flow," said Doug Suttles, BP's chief operating officer. "We're hopeful that if the encouraging signs continue that we'll be able to continue the integrity test all the way to the point that we get the well killed."
Right, thanks for the clarification. Translated into plain English, it would appear that tests on the weekend suggest that the cap is working, there are no further leaks, and the flow of oil may be stopped until the conclusive closing of the well, probably next month.
Considering the gaffes and mishaps that have taken place to date, we'll wait til then to breathe easier.
Photo: Work boats at the site of the Gulf oil spill. (Dave Martin/AP)