国际英语新闻：BP plans to use "top kill" to stop oil spill in Gulf of Mexico

HOUSTON, May 19 (Xinhua) -- British oil giant BP said on Wednesday it hopes to start a technology known as "top kill" on Sunday or early next week to stop the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The so-called "top kill" is a two-step process where first, plugging agents are pumped into the blowout preventer to stop the flow. If successful, it will be followed by either heavy mud or cement that increases the hydrostatic head on the well, stopping the flow of the well.

The procedure, which could take several weeks to complete, would stop the oil that's been leaking from the ruptured undersea wellhead since the explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig off the Louisiana coast late April.

"This is all being done at a depth of 5,000 feet and it's never been done at these depths before," said Doug Suttles, operating officer for exploration and production of BP, which was leasing the Deepwater Horizon rig and therefore responsible for the clean- up in the Gulf.

In a news release issued on Sunday, BP said it may combine "top kill" with so-called "junk shot," the injection under pressure of a variety of materials to seal off upward flow.

Since its crews inserted a 4-inch tube into a 21-inch riser pipe that once connected the Deepwater Horizon with an underwater well on Sunday, BP said the tube has been capturing 2,000 barrels of oil a day from the leaking well.

BP has estimated that 5,000 barrels of oil per day has been gushing out of the well. But scientists fear the amount of oil pouring into the Gulf of Mexico from the undersea gusher could be significantly more.