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

Though the "static kill" appeared to be successful in plugging the leak, both U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, who is tasked to handle the oil spill, and BP officials said that relief wells being drilled are the "answer" to sealing the ruptured well for good.

"We've pretty much made this well not a threat, but we need to finish this from the bottom," said Allen. BP also said in its statement that "a relief well remains the ultimate solution to kill and permanently cement the well."

The "static kill" would be followed by a "bottom kill" after a relief well intercepts the underwater gusher. BP said its first relief well, which started May 2, has set its final 9 7/8-inch casing. Operations on two relief wells were suspended during static kill operations.

"Depending upon weather conditions, mid-August is the current estimate of the most likely date by which the first relief well will intercept the Macondo well annulus," the company said.

Also on Wednesday, another piece of good news came from a government report, which said 74 percent of the oil that leaked from the BP well has been collected, dispersed or evaporated.

The study, jointly-conducted by agencies including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Department of the Interior, said that of the total amount of oil that was spewed into the Gulf of Mexico, just 26 percent remains in the water, either on or just below the surface as light sheen and weathered tar balls.