Drill my Ass/top kill has failed

ROBERT, La. - BP said Saturday that its "top kill" bid to plug the worst oil spill in U.S. history wasn't working and that it would try another approach next.

"We have not been able to stop the flow," BP PLC Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles told reporters.. "We have made the decision to move onto the next option."

A live feed of the leak showed preparations Saturday for BP's next step. An underwater robot gripped a saw near the bent and leaking pipe, or riser, atop a failed blowout preventer. BP aims to slice off the pipe and place a cap and seal over the opening. The idea is to connect that to a new riser from the drillship above, with the hopes of capturing oil and natural gas.


That operation is known as the lower marine riser package, and Suttles confirmed that BP had been preparing for that step "all along."

"We haven't done it to this date because we needed the diagnostic data to make sure we didn't make the situation worse," Suttles said. The new capture approach follows two earlier failed attempts to siphon the oil via a large containment chamber and a smaller "top hat" system.

The new attempt would take four to seven days to complete, Suttles said.

"We're confident the job will work but obviously we can't guarantee success," Suttles said of the new plan.

Suttles added that BP was also preparing to place a working blowout preventer on top of the failed one if the cap option fizzles.

Drilling continues on one of two planned relief wells intended to intercept the leaking well and plug it far beneath the seabed. BP expects the first well to be finished by late July or early August.

BP has said previously the company was "planning in parallel," or getting ready for other options while working on the top kill — the injection of heavy fluid and materials to plug the well.

The disaster entered its 40th day on Saturday. Americans have been hypnotized as they watched for any sign of success.

They are acting like their heroes trying to come with solutions at this tremendous depth. No there not. They are planet killers. I said from the beginning of this that new wells were there real priority. As noted above, completed sometime in July or August. House price along the Gulf are sure to plummet. That's for all you bargain seekers.

This was from Msnbc