BP says end point for stopping Gulf oil leak is relief well due in August

BP exec says end point for leak is relief well

WASHINGTON — A BP executive says a relief well is the “end point” of efforts to stop the Gulf oil spill — which suggests there’s little chance of plugging the leak until the new well is completed in August.

BP managing director Bob Dudley tells ABC’s “This Week” that the current attempt to cap the leaking well would at best minimize the oil flowing into the Gulf of Mexico.

Dudley says the relief well expected to be ready at the end of August “is certainly the end point on this game.”

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A BP executive says BP will learn from its failed attempts to stop the Gulf oil spill and apply those lessons to its next try.

BP managing director Robert Dudley says unmanned submarines working a mile below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico will try to saw through a leaking pipe and then cap it with a funnel-like device built to capture the oil.

This next attempt will be similar to a containment dome that failed to work.

Dudley says BP will try to pump warm sea water down the pipe to keep the oil and gas warmer and prevent ice from forming. That was blamed for the earlier failure.

Dudley spoke on “Fox News Sunday” with later appearances on CNN’s “State of the Union,” ABC’s “This Week,” NBC’s “Meet the Press” and CBS’ “Face the Nation.”