World Politics

BP has options

The oil spill in the gulf has been an example in mismanagement and misinformation. The media and public backlash that BP has suffered is completely justified in this light. But now the company seems to be getting its act together.

The company recently managed to temporarily plug the hole in the Gulf and has been working on a permanent solution to the problem. In fact BP started work on the solution just under two weeks after blast on the Deepwater Horizon rig. BP has been digging a relief tunnel, which is designed to divert the flow of the oil so that it can be pumped out safely. Another tunnel is also being dug, as a backup to the first relief tunnel.

Both tunnels were planned to be put into use so that a permanent plug could be put into place on the seabed. That plan involved pumping cement and mud down the leak and allowing it to set. However, BP now says that this “static kill” plan might not be necessary. They say that extracting the oil from a blow out well will take care of the problem. As a result the second relief tunnel might not be continued. Instead BP will finish the first relief tunnel and use that to ensure that the leak is plugged. Officials said that this would happen even if the static kill is used. The cost of each relief tunnel is estimated to be around $100 million each.

So far, conservative estimates place the leak at 92 million gallons and government estimates place it at 206 million gallons.