Top-kill operations may not work, BP admits

Natural resources giant BP has claimed top-kill procedures being applied to the Deepwater Horizon oil leak are not certain to succeed.

These methods include pumping heavy drilling fluids into the blow out preventer, with operations having started on May 26th.

Deepwater Horizon, a Transocean rig leased by BP, caught fire last month and subsequently sank killing nine full-time employees and two contractors.

While the oil industry giant has said cementing techniques will be carried out should top-kill functions work, the company added that work of this kind has never been attempted at such depths.

The ongoing containment of the oil slick has cost the organisation $930 million (£643 million), including federal expenses, drilling prices and relief well projects.

It commented: "The total length of containment boom deployed as part of efforts to prevent oil reaching the coast is now almost 1.9 million feet."

BP is currently providing underwater live video feeds of top-kill operations in an effort to offer full transparency.