Asia-Pacific

'Static kill' works in plugging leaking well: BP

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-08-04 16:29

HOUSTON - British oil giant BP said Wednesday that the "static kill" procedure worked in plugging a runaway oil well in the Gulf of Mexico.

The London-based company said in a news release that "static kill," an engineering procedure of sealing the underwater gusher by pumping mud into the well from above, has achieved "desired outcome."

The company started the procedure at about 2100 GMT on Tuesday and pumped mud into the well for eight hours, said BP.

BP said that it will keep close watch on the situation to determine the necessity of further mud pumping.

Hundreds of millions of liters of crude oil spewed into the sea before BP managed to seal the leak in mid-July with a tight-fitting containment cap.