BP may cap gushing Gulf of Mexico well with small dome if high-stakes ‘top kill’ fails

BP may cap well with dome if ‘top kill’ fails

COVINGTON, La. — BP PLC officials say that if their high-stakes attempt to plug the leaking Gulf of Mexico well by injecting heavy drilling mud into it fails they will likely try to cap it with a small containment dome.

BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles said Monday engineers were working furiously to prepare to launch the massive “top kill” maneuver Wednesday.

But Suttles says it’s not a guaranteed success and crews are already working on a backup plan to fit a small dome atop the leaking well and then pump the oil to the surface. He said engineers are also exploring other options, such as injecting assorted junk into the well to halt the spread of the oil.

Anger with the government and the company, which leased the rig and is responsible for the cleanup, has grown as the monthlong oil spill creeps deeper into the Gulf Coast’s wetlands.