Well “Integrity Test” Will Continue In 24-Hour Increments

by Miles Wolf Tamboli - Talk Radio News Service

Despite BP Senior Vice President Kent Wells’ declaration this morning that the well tests, which have been successful in temporarily stopping the oil leak into the Gulf of Mexico, National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen has released a statement telling the press that, “The ongoing well integrity test will continue until 4 p.m. EST [Sunday], with the potential for additional extensions in 24-hour increments.”

Allen released Saturday that the federal government had approved a 24-hour continuation of the well “integrity test,” but assured that, “as a condition of the extension, the US government has required significant new monitoring and periodic evaluation and approval by [its] science team.”

The Deepwater Horizon Response Joint Command has been conducting tests since Wednesday on a 75-ton “stacking cap” capable of either siphoning off crude oil from the broken Macondo well, or possibly of capping the well altogether.

The team has been monitoring the pressure of the oil building underneath the cap, and lower than expected readings are being examined in order to determine whether another leak has sprung elsewhere, or the oil reservoir has simply been depleted by the nearly three month long oil leak, according to the administration’s point man.

“Progress also continues on the two relief wells the federal government has required BP to drill. The relief well remains the ultimate step in stopping the BP oil leak for good,” said Allen.