Oil spill breakthrough: A temporary cap after nearly 3 months

HAWAII ISLAND—A new cap has been firmly fitted that is successfully preventing more oil from leaking into the Gulf of Mexico for the first time since April, BP said Thursday. The breakthrough was long awaited by weary residents along the Gulf coast. The stoppage is the most significant milestone yet in BP’s effort to control one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history.

Kent Wells, a BP vice president, said at a news briefing that oil stopped flowing into the water at 2:25 p.m. Central Daylight Time after engineers dialed down the amount of crude pouring through the last of three valves in the 75-ton cap.

“I am very pleased that there’s no oil going into the Gulf of Mexico. In fact, I’m really excited there’s no oil going into the Gulf of Mexico,” Wells said.

The stoppage came 85 days, 16 hours, and 25 minutes after the first report on April 20 of an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oilrig that resulted in 11 deaths and the spill of crude oil into the ocean.

Now begins a waiting period to see if the cap can hold the oil without blowing a new leak in the well. Engineers will monitor pressure readings closely for up to 48 hours before reopening the cap while deciding what to do.

Though cap is not a permanent fix, the solution has been the only one that has worked to stem the flow of oil in nearly 3 months. BP is drilling two relief wells so it can pump mud and cement into the leaking well in hopes of plugging it for good by mid-August.

BP has struggled to contain the spill and had so far been successful only in reducing the flow, not stopping it. The company removed an old, leaky cap and installed the new one Monday.

Between 93.5 million and 184.3 million have already spilled into the Gulf, according to federal estimates.