“Technically, It’s Achievable”: Gulf Leak May Be Fully Contained By Monday
Tweet
A new containment cap and an additional ship collecting oil could effectively contain the spill in the next three days, Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said Friday.
BP could start replacing the containment cap on the leaking well with a new sealing cap Saturday, Allen told the Associated Press.
“Technically, it’s pretty achievable,” Allen told the AP.
The oil recovery vessel Helix Producer was being hooked up Friday and could be functioning by Sunday, Allen added, CNN reports.
The schedule for both efforts has been ramped up to take advantage of the good weather, according to the AP.
Work also continues on a pair of relief wells intercepting the well below the seafloor, AP reports.
Allen told CNN swapping the containment caps would increase the potential oil gathered each day to between 60,000 and 80,000 barrels. It would also allow for four oil recovery vessels, instead of the three allowed currently.
While the caps are being switched, the 15,000 barrels of oil the Discoverer Enterprise ship is capturing would flow freely, CNN reports.
Meanwhile, a 178-foot-long U.S. Navy blimp flew from New Orleans toward Mobile, Alabama Friday morning. The MZ-3A could make its first flight to survey the Gulf region if weather permits, according to CNN.
 |
|