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BP cuts leaking oil pipe; protests set to start
By: cnn.comPosted On: 06/03/2010 11:31 A
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In its latest attempt to contain the undersea oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico, oil company BP on Thursday sliced off the top of a damaged riser.
In its latest attempt to contain the undersea oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico, oil company BP on Thursday sliced off the top of a damaged riser.
Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the federal government's response manager, called the development a "significant step forward." Next, BP will attempt to capture the oil by lowering a containment dome over the ruptured well and start siphoning the oil to the surface, he said.
BP is entering a "test and adapt" phase after it failed Wednesday to make a more precise cut of the leaking pipe, Allen said. Instead, the oil company had to settle for a rougher cut, making a tighter seal less likely.
Despite the progress reported Thursday, it's unclear how much oil, if any, will continue to flow out of the ruptured undersea well, Allen said.
The latest containment effort comes on Day 45 of the disaster, as BP, under fire from seemingly every angle, launched a national ad campaign that continued Thursday with television spots featuring Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward issuing an apology and promising to "make this right."
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