BP Oil Spill Live Feed: BP Replace Old Cap on Damaged Well

Crews in the Site of the Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico are working around the clock to replace a containment cap on the ruptured underwater well. The BP Company is trying to install a better-fitting cap after BP removed the Old Cap. Robots are in the process of removing six bolts from the apparatus so that the new cap can be positioned.

Statistics show that the old cap had been diverting about 15,000 barrels a day (630,000 gallons) to a ship. BP still is recovering an additional 8,000 to 9,000 barrels a day (336,000 to 378,000 gallons) through a line connected to another vessel, the Q4000. The operation to replace the cap is expected to take four to seven days that is if favorable weather helps in the process, a fleet of skimmers will help recover the oil now making its way to the surface.  BP crews are in the final stages of hooking up the Helix Producer, The Helix Producer is another oil recovery vessel, to the well.

The Helix Producer is expected to begin collecting oil by Sunday and officials hope to reach full collection capacity of 20,000 to 25,000 barrels (840,000 to 1.5 million gallons) per day within three days. Stay tuned for more news and updates on