Salazar, Chu declare Macondo well 'effectively dead'

Sept. 27, 2010
US Interior Sec. Ken Salazar and Energy Sec. Steven Chu declared BP PLC's Macondo well "effectively dead" on Sept. 19, but pledged in a joint statement to continue working to clean up remaining spilled oil and restore the US Gulf Coast.

US Interior Sec. Ken Salazar and Energy Sec. Steven Chu declared BP PLC's Macondo well "effectively dead" on Sept. 19, but pledged in a joint statement to continue working to clean up remaining spilled oil and restore the US Gulf Coast.

Oversight of the well has moved from the National Incident Command to the US Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement, which will oversee the deepwater well's decommissioning. It blew out on Apr. 20, causing the Deepwater Horizon semisubmersible to explode and kill 11 workers, and a subsequent massive crude oil spill into the Gulf of Mexico.

"The best minds in the public and private sectors came together to ensure that science and sound regulatory oversight guided every step of the well control efforts, and that redundancies and safeguards were in place to protect against further damage to the environment or additional risks to human life," Salazar and Chu said.

BOE said before BP can proceed with decommissioning the relief wells, it will need to outline its procedures for permanently plugging the relief well and submit an application for a modification permit.

More Oil & Gas Journal Current Issue Articles
More Oil & Gas Journal Archives Issue Articles
View Oil and Gas Articles on PennEnergy.com