'Top kill' fails to stop flow of oil, BP says
By the CNN Wire Staff
May 29, 2010 6:27 p.m. EDT
Venice, Louisiana (CNN)-- BP's "top kill" attempt to stop the flow of oil from a ruptured wellin the Gulf of Mexico failed, the company's chief operating officer said Saturday.
The oil giant has tried for days to stop the the largest oil spillin U.S. history by pumping heavy, mudlike drilling fluidinto a ruptured oil well, a method known as "top kill."
The next option is to place a custom-built cap known as the "lower marine riser package" over the leak, the company's chief operating officer, Doug Suttles said. BP crews were working Saturday to ready the materials for that option should it become necessary, he said.
"We've been prepping that all alongin case we need to move to that option," he said. "People want to know which technique is going to work, and I don't know."
