Oil spill latest: BP make strides to contain the spill

BP has spent three and a half weeks attempting to stem the flow of crude oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico following the sinking of the Deepwater Horizon deepsea oil rig on 21 April 2010, and has yet to find any suitable method.

However, using new underwater footage of the leaking oil, scientists have been able to recalculate estimates of the disgorging oil to around 70,000 barrels, putting even more pressure on BP to prevent what is now the worst oil spill in US history.

The underwater riser pipe ruptured when the oil rig sunk, causing an estimated flow of 5000 barrels of oil spill a day, and BP has attempted to stem the leak using various methods, from covering the leak with a large 100 ton dome, to using robotic submarines to activate the fail-safe blow-out preventer. However, despite these attempts, BP has been unable to stem the flow.

Oil spill latest: RITT stems some of the flow

Over the weekend, it appears BP may have been able to control the flow of oil, by inserting a riser insertion tube tool (RITT) into the end of the leaking pipe to divert the majority of the leaking oil and gas up to a vessel on the surface, a mile above.

Despite the RITT successfully stemming the majority of the oil and preventing more oil polution in the fragile gulf of Mexico, BP reiterated its commitment on plugging the blow-out preventer using a method known as a "junk shot", which involves blasting mud and concrete into the well to stem the flow. BP is also continuing to develop the "top kill" operation, which involves injecting heavy drilling fluids to cement the well.

About the RITT

The RITT is four inches in diameter, and is fashioned in a way that allows one end to fit into the broken riser pipe to syphon oil up to a waiting support vessel. Since the large dome sent to the site to siphon the spill failed due to icy gas crystals blocking up the riser pipe, the RITT is designed to allow the injection of methanol to stop any such icy gas stemming the flow.

BP began to drill a relief well on 2 May 2010 to stem the flow, but early estimates suggest that the well will take around three months to complete. In total, 650 vessels are involved in the response effort to skim oil from the surface, accounting for around 151,000 barrels collected so far.

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Oil spill latest: The cost of clumsiness | Gulf oil spill latest: Containing the spill | US oil rig sinks and causes oil spill off US coast | Oil spill latest: Senators knuckle wrap oil execs | Gulf of Mexico oil spill: dome sent to contain leak

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