BP deliberating whether to do 'top kill' on blowout well

US Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry granted approval for BP PLC to use the “top kill” procedure in an attempt to stop the flow of oil and gas from a runaway deepwater well in the Gulf of Mexico.

May 26, 2010

(This story was updated, BP starts "top kill")

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, May 26 -- BP PLC reported it started the "top kill" operation to stop the flow of oil and gas from the Macondo well on Mississippi Canyon Block 252, and the company said the operation could take 2 days.

The top kill was launched after US Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry granted approval.

The decision was made after BP executives examined "diagnostic" information about the condition of the failed blowout preventer (OGJ Online, May 25, 2010).