BP oil spill costs rise to $3.5bn

The damaged lower marine riser package (LMRP) containment cap was successfully removed from the Deepwater Horizon’s failed blow-out preventer this weekend with the use of robotic submarines. Following this, a ‘transition spool’ was installed and bolted onto the remaining flange on the blow-out preventer.

According to BP, the next step will be lowering a new stack of valves, known as a capping stack, on top of the transition spool and sealing it together. These valves will be designed to gradually close, allowing them to either shut off the flow of oil or divert it to pipes connected to collection ships on the surface.

‘We remain on track to have the sealing cap in place within the four-to-seven-day time frame,’ said Doug Suttles, chief operating officer of BP Exploration and Production.

Meanwhile, BP stated the Q4000 service platform will still continue its duties of collecting oil and gas and burning it off at the surface. The company gained permission to do this from federal authorities in June as part of their promise to triple the amount of crude it stops spewing into the sea.