BP 'more comfortable' about oil well plug

BP’s experimental cap is holding as the final hours tick away in a two-day trial run to make sure it keeps oil from pouring into the Gulf of Mexico without blowing a new leak in the busted well, the oil firm said today.

Kent Wells, BP vice-president, said that engineers monitoring an array of pressure, temperature, sonar and other sensors are seeing no evidence of oil escaping into the water or the sea floor.

Undersea robots are also patrolling the well site for signs of trouble.

A new breach underground was a major concern going into the test, because oil breaking out of pipes in the bedrock would be harder to control and could endanger plans for a permanent plug.

“We’re feeling more comfortable,” Mr Wells said, but cautioned: “The test is not over.”