Aftermath if BP (NYSE:BP) "Top Kill" Doesn't Work

An important question emerges as BP (NYSE:BP) continues its attempt to "Top Kill" the leak in the Gulf of Mexico, and that is if the effort does fail overall, has it done something to slow down the flow of oil in the Gulf, or are we back where we started from before the Wednesday attempt?

The answer is vital if the effort does indeed prove to be a failure, because if there is at least a partial win by slowing down the flow of oil in a significant manner, it could give some relief all around as public and media pressure mounts concerning the situation.

If nothing else, there'll at least be a pop in the bubble of public perception and opinion if it does some good, and hope that the damage won't be as bad as it could and will be if the oil flow is as strong as it was before the try.

What will determine the next phase of media coverage and public concern is whether the oil leak becomes more of a trickle than a gusher.

Any significant slowdown will be considered a win by BP, and will ease things up a bit for them. If not, it's hard to tell where it'll all end up, as there's not much more anger and outcry that will grow than it is now, as it's reached a feverish pitch.

You also have the fatigue factor which could settle in, as people get tired of this type of negative story after prolonged exposure to it, and it'll slow down some no matter which way it goes.

Now that most people are aware of the circumstances and the stake involved, it's hard to tell what will happen after the Memorial Day weekend either way, as their minds drift to lost loved ones and enjoying the holiday.

People will be back to work and looking at their own challenges and problems with the concerns over the economy and jobs. That could mean the legs of this story are at their highest level now, and it could deflate going forward.

This doesn't change what needs to be done, but just an observation as to how long people can take in the catastrophe before they weary of it. I think that time is approaching, and hopefully we can get rid of the circus atmosphere and let BP and others do the work of stopping it, if they indeed fail this weekend.

BP (NYSE:BP) "Top Kill" a Failure?

Hope is dimming for the attempt by BP (NYSE:BP) to quickly plug the oil leak at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico through Top Kill, as BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles confirms they haven't been able to stop the oil spill yet.

With maybe 24 hours left to determine whether it will succeed or not, Suttles added BP is already looking toward their contingency plan of attempting to put a cap over the well, something that has already failed once, but obviously is worth the attempt, as the only sure way to stop it will take probably till August before it's in place, which would be a disaster for everyone involved, and would bring incredible political pressure on Obama and the oil industry in general.

This isn't to say the Top Kill or Junk Shot has failed, but the longer they go on the less likely it'll be they will be successful.

BP (NYSE:BP) Top Kill and Live Feed of Oil Spill

As many people watch with hope the live video feed of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, BP (NYSE:BP) says it has yet to stop the flow of oil into the Gulf, and are looking at alternative measures if it doesn't plug up soon.

BP has said from the beginning that the "Top Kill" has a 60 percent to 70 percent chance of succeeding, and the longer time goes on, the more it seems they aren't going to be successful with the attempt.

COO Doug Suttles said that at this time the "Top Kill" and "Junk Shot" haven't stopped the oil flow yet, and the company is preparing its next option of attempting to cap the well if that doesn't work.

While there is still an outside chance the Top Kill could still work, it's beginning to look like it's only a remote possibility at this time.

BP (NYSE:BP): "Top Kill" Taking Longer Than Expected

The attempt by BP (NYSE:BP) to stop the oil flow in the Gulf of Mexico using what is called "Top Kill" looks like it'll take longer than expected, as far as operationally and in finding out if it'll work.

Much of that comes from the heavy fluid being used to attempt to plug the oil well isn't filling it at the percentage hoped, and so a secondary method of injecting various materials called “junk shot,” which attempts to fill in holes which would help the original fluid fill it in better.

Each time a "junk Shot" is taken, BP has to stop the operations and wait. That is the major cause of it taking longer than usual, as they're evidently trying more of these than we know of.

Original estimates of knowing whether it would work or not was up to two days, now that has been extended to up to another two days.

BP (NYSE:BP) "Top Kill" to Use "Junk Shot"

The next phase by BP (NYSE:BP) at their attempt to "Top Kill" the oil leak in the Gulf will be to us what is called a "Junk Shot."

A "junk shot" refers to using materials like golf balls, shredded rubber tires and pieces of rope and injecting them into the broken blowout preventer. This would hopefully clog it all up and stop the oil flow.

BP said injecting the material into the preventer would fill in gaps now open, which would help the fluid and mud end up in the well, something that they've had difficulty doing to this point.

While the leak will eventually be plugged, this is the best chance by BP to do it quickly, as pressure continues to mount stop the oil flow.