BP successfully stopped the flow of oil from the leaking Macondo Well on July 15 after the well gushed an estimated 4.9 million barrels, making it the world’s largest offshore accidental oil spill (Bloomberg).
Last week, BP pumped cement into the top of the well to effectively seal the well. The cement followed the successful pumping of drilling mud into Macondo well after the flow of the leak was stopped with the Collar, Cap, and Collector solution. The use of drilling mud and cement to seal the well is known as the Static Kill Procedure. The layer of mud was used to push the gas and oil back into the reservoir.
Plans to use the relief well to seal off the well from the bottom remain.