Oil-Collection Effort This Week

The Helix Producer I, a floating platform that can gather 25,000 barrels of crude a day, can’t hook into subsurface equipment connected to the well on the sea floor until wave heights decline to 3 feet or less, said Bryan Ferguson, a spokesman for London-based BP. High waves kicked up by Hurricane Alex last week, followed by a 6-foot chop during the weekend, made it impossible to make the link, he said.

“All the subsea hardware is in place but they’re waiting for the sea state to calm down,” Ferguson said yesterday in a telephone interview from Houston.

The delay is the latest setback in London-based BP’s efforts to halt the worst oil spill in U.S. history. The disaster began April 20 when explosions and fire aboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig killed 11 workers, triggering leaks in the well a mile below the surface that fouled beaches, killed wildlife and shut a swath of federally controlled fishing grounds that cover an area the size of Nebraska.

99
99
99
99
99
99
99
99
99
99
99
99
99
99
99
99
99
99
99
99
99
99
99
99