With the official beginning of the static kill by BP (NYSE:BP), whereby they're attempting to permanently plug the oil from the Macondo well from leaking into the Gulf of Mexico, BP had to put things temporarily on hold until they fixed a leak in their hydraulic system.
That has been completed, and at about 4:00 PM EDT Tuesday, BP began the operations of pumping heavy drilling mud into the top of the well to see if that will do the job.
They of course still have the other means of plugging the well through the relief well far below the surface and far below the top of the well, where they're beginning to pump mud.
That bottom kill should start in about two weeks or so, assuming the weather conditions cooperate.
Expectations for the "static kill" have been being managed from the beginning, as it's not nearly as guaranteed as the bottom kill will be, as there are possibilities oil will escape from parts of the casing of the well or the annulus, which would increase the difficulty and chances of complete success.
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