Trial of Gulf Oil Well Cap Extended for 24 Hours
NEW ORLEANS (AP) BP's trial run of a cap blocking oil from streaming into the Gulf of Mexico has been extended.
Thad Allen, the government's point man on the cleanup, said BP will continue to monitor the cap for another 24 hours.
The oil giant was initially given 48 hours to see whether its latest effort to stop the leak was working. Allen made the call to extend the trial run less than two hours after the period ended.
The cap could be reopened if scientists decide it could create an underground breach. It also could be reopened if they need to do certain seafloor mapping, or if they want to contain the oil by instead drawing it up to vessels on the surface.
