国际英语新闻：BP achieves "desired outcome" in "static kill," most spilled oil gone

HOUSTON, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- British oil giant BP said Wednesday it had reached the "desired outcome" in a procedure to permanently plug the ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico, as a government report said most of the spilled oil is gone.

The London-based company said in a news release that the " static kill," an engineering procedure of sealing the underwater gusher by pumping mud into the well from above, has achieved " desired outcome," and called the development a "significant milestone."

The well appeared to have reached a static condition as the drilling mud being pumped was holding the oil down, the company said, adding "the well is now being monitored, per the agreed procedure, to ensure it remains static."

BP started the procedure at about 2100 GMT on Tuesday and pumped mud into the well for eight hours. The company said it will keep close watch on the situation to determine the necessity of further mud pumping.

The "static kill" is the biggest development in BP's 100-day plus spill ordeal since it placed a tight-fitting cap over the blown-out well in mid-July, stopping oil from flowing into the ocean for the first time after a deadly rig blast in late April opened the underwater gusher, unleashing the worst spill in U.S. waters.