Stormy weather delays hookup of new vessel to collect gushing oil from Gulf well

Hookup of new Gulf containment vessel delayed

NEW ORLEANS — The hookup of a new containment vessel to the gushing well head has been delayed by the poor weather in the Gulf of Mexico.

Officials had originally hoped to connect the Helix Producer to the cap over the well on Wednesday.

Christina Coulon, a spokeswoman for the Joint Information Center, now says the vessel will be hooked up later this week. A new target day was not offered.

The 528-foot, nearly 2,300-ton vessel will hook up to the containment cap at the seafloor and start collecting up to 25,000 barrels a day. That could double the amount of oil being collected at the well head and then burned or transferred to other tankers.

Lousy weather and choppy seas have delayed the connection.