Update: Apparently unsatisfied with the technical test results or sensitivity to the desires of the public who want a permanent fix, or a combination of both, the federal crisis chief, Admiral Thad Allen ordered BP to go ahead with the bottom kill in "an overabundance of caution". The failed blowout preventer may be replaced and additional testing completed before the relief well is finally plugged. Allen assured reporters that precautions will be taken to preserve the BOP's forensic value. Bravo! Belts and suspenders are always best when your pants are prone to falling off. Enjoy your dip Mr. President.
{12.8.10}The UK's Telegraph newspaper (Tory) is reporting that British Petroleum is close to a deal with Obamacon & Folks to guarantee its return to the Gulf of Mexico in future. There is support in the US House to ban companies with poor safety records from drilling on the US outer-continental shelf. But the current administration is pro-big oil so it is amenable to allowing BP to guarantee the $20billion compensation fund with revenues from Gulf operations which account for approximately 10% of its business. The company already paid $3bn into the fund on Monday, and has repeatedly said it plans to make further payments from current operation revenue. The company reinsured its executives in the amount of $400m just prior to the blowout occurring. Over 300 lawsuits have been filed against BP as a consequence of the largest oil well disaster in history. Debate over whether the company will be allowed to leave the Macondo blowout unsealed from the bottom--the so called bottom kill--continues to simmer. Moving on without sealing in the reservoir is the kind of irresponsible cost cutting that contributed to the cause of the devastating blowout three months ago. No one knows for sure if the "top kill" successfully sealed all weak spots in the crippled well bore. The incestuous relationship between our national government and big business has never been more clearly on display to the American public.