Asia-Pacific

BP exec avoids question on relief well completion

(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-08-27 09:23
Large Medium Small

HOUSTON - A senior BP executive is again avoiding committing the oil giant to using relief wells to seal to the Gulf of Mexico well that blew out in April.

Related readings:
BP exec avoids question on relief well completion BP to pay $50B fine for Texas safety violations
BP exec avoids question on relief well completion Oil spill so far costs BP $6.1 billion
BP exec avoids question on relief well completion The man who will try to clean up BP
BP exec avoids question on relief well completion BP replaces head representative for spill response

Senior Vice President Kent Wells on Thursday skirted questions by federal investigators on whether the oil giant will proceed with the relief wells. He told the investigators probing the April 20 explosion that killed 11 people that there are "multiple options" to stop the oil. He says the relief wells are "the ultimate backup if everything else fails."

Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the government's point man on spill response, has insisted the relief wells would be the final solution.

However, BP said in a statement that the company and Allen "remain aligned regarding relief well plans."