BP to Cement Oil Well

BP officials said they will begin Thursday the final steps to seal the blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico, in what many hope will be the final act in the three-month drama since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20. BP’s successful “static kill” operation—which pumped heavy drilling mud into the well and pushed the gushing oil back into the reservoir—and the recent government report, that said much of the spilled oil is gone, have raised hopes that the end is near. On Wednesday, BP got the green light to begin pumping cement into the rig, as a permanent seal. Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, who heads up the federal relief effort, and other federal officials stressed that although the recent news from the Gulf was encouraging, the only permanent fix is to build a relief well, which is not set to be completed until mid-August.