As the pessimists have been predicting for some time, BP has been forced to abandon its “top kill” attempt to force mud down its leaking well to stop the oil escaping.
Now on to the next plan. Not so much Plan B as Plan F, already. The idea now will be to cut off the pipes at the top of the blow-out prevented, exposing the Lower Marine Riser Package, and allowing a container to be connected up to it that will catch the oil and allow it to rise up a pipe to the surface. Like all of these efforts, this has not yet been done before in 5,000 feet of water. It also carries risks: not least that by cutting away the buckled pipe at the top of the BOP, you will make is easier for oil to escape.
The new plan will take about four days to execute, BP says. And if that fails, then it will be on to Plan G: fastening a new blow-out preventer on to the top of the existing one on the well, which failed in the accident on April 20.