P-3 OIL SPILL NEWS UPDATE

PESTILENCES (CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS)

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences;(CHEMICAL,BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS) and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

POISONED WATERS

REVELATION 8:8-11
8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood:(bitter,Poisoned) and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.(poisoned)

REVELATION 16:3-7
3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.(enviromentalists won't like this result)
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6 For they(False World Church and Dictator) have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

LIVE BP OIL FEED
http://interactive.foxnews.com/livestream/live.html?chanId=2&openAIR=true
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/26/bp-oil-spill-live-feed-vi_n_590635.html
http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_internet/globalbp/globalbp_uk_english/
homepage/STAGING/local_assets/bp_homepage/html/rov_stream.html
OBAMA ON OIL SPILL-VIDEO
http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/deepwater-bp-oil-spill-presidential-press-conference
PART 1-OIL SPILL
http://israndjer.blogspot.com/2010/05/oil-still-gushing-as-of-645pm.html
PART 2-OIL SPILL
http://israndjer.blogspot.com/2010/05/p-2-oil-slick-news-nay-29.html

ITS 11:45AM JUNE 1,10 AND BP IS CUTTING THE PIPE TO TRY TO CAP IT.ITS DAY 43 AND COUNTING.

ITS 2:45PM JUNE 1,10 AND THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION WILL NOT DO ANY MORE PRESS CONFERENCES WITH BP.INSTEAD OF GETTING CLOSER TO THE OIL SPILL,OBAMA IS COWARING AND HIDING AND HOPING THE SPILL GOES AWAY.OBAMAS NOT INTERESTED IN THE POISONING OF THE WATERS AND SEA ANIMALS,HES JUST THINKING OF DOLLAR SIGNS FROM A BIG FAT BAILOUT SO HE CAN FUND HIS COVERUP OF HIS BIRTH SCANDLE.

ITS 4:20PM JUNE 1,10. 1/3RD OF THE GULF IS NOW UNFISHABLE,BIBLE PROPHECY HAS BEEN PARTIALLY FULFILLED.WHICH MEANS 1/3RD OF THE SHIPS WILL BE DESTROYED,THEY LOSE THEIR JOBS AND LIVELYHOODS.AND THE WATER IS POISONED LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS AND LOOKS LIKE THE BLOOD OF A DEAD MAN.THE COST ESTIMATED TO BP WILL RANGE FROM $2.5 BILLION TO $22 BILLION.IN THE LAST 5 WEEKS BP IS DOWN 38% THE STOCKS.

ITS 10:10AM JUNE 2,10 THEY CLAIM THE SAW IS STUCK IN THE PIPE THEY WERE CUTTING AND THE OIL STILL GUSHES...THE INTERESTING SAGA CONTINUES WHILE WATERS GET POISONED AND DEATH OF ALL THE SEA ANIMALS AND SEA LIFE OCCURS.

ITS 4:05PM JUNE 2,10 ALREADY OBAMA IS TALKING NEW ENERGY MEASURES.THE SWEET TALK FOR BAILOUTS IS ON AGAIN.DAY 44 IS ALMOST COMPLETE.OH PROPHECY IS FULFILLED 37% OF THE GULF IS NOW POISONED.GOD(KING JESUS TOLD US WHAT WOULD BE COMING IN THE LAST DAYS.FOR GODLESS SKEPTICS...YOU BETTER GET SAVED QUICK....THE WORST IS YET TO COME.

ITS 10:25PM JUNE 2,10-CNNS ANDERSON COOPER IS SPREADING THE HAYWARD PROPAGANDA OF THE ILL PEOPLE BEING SICK FROM FOOD POISON.WHAT HOGWASH..BILLY THE MARSH GUY SAID AFTER A PLANE SPRAYED SOMETHING ONE GUY STARTING GETTING NASEAU AND VOMITING AND WAS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL.DR SANJAY GUPTA AT LEAST IS SAYING YOU CAN GET SICK AND RESPIRATORY SYSTEM PROBLEMS FROM INHALING THE GAS FUMES AND CHEMICALS BP IS SPRAYNG IN THE WATER TO BREAK UP THE OIL.THE BIBLE CLEARLY SAYS MANY WILL DIE FROM THE POISONED WATERS SO EXPECT EFFECTS AND DEATHS FROM THIS SPILL IN THE SHORT AND LONG TERM.

WHAT IS AN OIL PLUME? WELL ITS THE MIXTURE OF THE OIL AND GAS COMING OUT OF THE SPILL AND ADD ON TO THAT THE CHEMICALS BPS IS USING THAT COMES OUT ALSO TO BREAK UP THE OIL AND YOU GET AN INVISBLE PLUME OF THE 3 POISON MIXTURES COMBINED TO MAKE A PLUME.THE BIGGEST PLUME THEY BELIEVE IS 22 MILES LONG BY FIVE MILES WIDE AND VARIOUS OTHER SIZE PLUMES ARE DESTROYING ALL THE ANIMALS AND PLANKTAN IN THE GULF.THESE PLUMES KILL OFF ALL THE OXIGEN AND KILLS WHAT EVERS IN THE AREA WERE THE PLUME IS.

8:15AM JUNE 3,10 DAY 45 OF OIL SPILL.SEE WHAT TODAY BRINGS.I HEARD THERES SOMETHING TO DO WITH OYSTERS THIS WEEKEND.I WOULD BE STAYING CLEAR OF ANYTHING EATIN FROM THE GULF IN THE LAST 45 DAYS.THESE OYSTERS MIGHT HAVE BEEN POISONED EARLY AND THE COMPANY MAY HAVE STILL LET THEM THROUGH SO BE AVOIDING ALL THE GULF SEA FISH AND ANIMALS WOULD BE MY ADVICE.

ITS 1:45PM JUNE 3,10 AND OBAMA WANTS TO PUT CLIMATE CHANGE EXPERTS ON THE OIL SPILL COMMITTEE.HERE WE GO CAP & TRADE AND BIGTIME TAXES ARE COMING AMERICA BE PREPARED.OBAMA MUST BE TELLING HIS ADMINISTRATION OF THUGS THAT THIS IS THE WAY WE CAN GET TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO BP THROUGH BAILOUTS AND TRILLIONS TO PAY FOR THEM BY TAXES AND SHUTING DOWN MAIN CITIZEN ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS SKY ROCKETING FOOD PRICES.OBAMA SAYS TO HIS ADMINISTRATION,THESE SHEEPLE OF FOOLS WILL WORSHIP US THROUGH TAXES AND HIGH PRICES AND OUR THUG DICTATORSHIP AND EUGENICS PROGRAM.

OH AND ONE VERY IMPORTANT HAPPENNING,ON APRIL 18,10 GOLDMAN SACHS DUMPED THEIR BP STOCKS THEY HAD...COINCIDENCE OR PAYOUT OR WORSE...I CAN ONLY IMAGINE.2 DAYS BEFORE THE EXPLOSION.THE CONNECTION ONCE AGAIN TO THE WHITE HOUSE AND GOLDMAN SACHS CONNECTION.NOW WE UNDERSTAND WHY OBAMAS NOT INTERESTED IN THE OIL SPILL ANYMORE.

Goldman Sachs sold $250 million of BP stock before spill
By John Byrne Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010 -- 10:12 am

Firm's stock sale nearly twice as large as any other institution; Represented 44 percent of total BP investment.The brokerage firm that's faced the most scrutiny from regulators in the past year over the shorting of mortgage related securities seems to have had good timing when it came to something else: the stock of British oil giant BP.According to regulatory filings, RawStory.com has found that Goldman Sachs sold 4,680,822 shares of BP in the first quarter of 2010. Goldman's sales were the largest of any firm during that time. Goldman would have pocketed slightly more than $266 million if their holdings were sold at the average price of BP's stock during the quarter.If Goldman had sold these shares today, their investment would have lost 36 percent its value, or $96 million. The share sales represented 44 percent of Goldman's holdings -- meaning that Goldman's remaining holdings have still lost tens of millions in value.The sale and its size itself isn't unusual for a large asset management firm. Wall Street brokerages routinely buy and sell huge blocks of shares for themselves and their clients. In light of a recent SEC lawsuit arguing that Goldman kept information about a product they sold from their clients, however, the stock sale may raise fresh concern among Goldman's critics. Goldman is also a frequent target of liberals and journalists, including Rolling Stone's Matt Taibbi, who famously dubbed the firm a vampire squid.Two calls placed to Goldman Sachs' media office in New York Wednesday morning after US markets opened were not immediately returned, though Raw Story decided to publish the story quickly after the calls since the stock sale had been already noted online.

Others also sold stock
Other asset management firms also sold huge blocks of BP stock in the first quarter -- but their sales were a fraction of Goldman's. Wachovia, which is owned by Wells Fargo, sold 2,667,419 shares; UBS, the Swiss bank, sold 2,125,566 shares.Wachovia and UBS also sold much larger percentages of their BP stock, at 98 percently and 97 percent respectively.Wachova parent Wells Fargo, however, bought 2.3 million shares in the quarter, largely discounting Wachovia's sales.Those reported buying BP's stock included Wellington Management, a large asset firm, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.BP is struggling to cap a massive oil leak at one of its drill sites in the Gulf of Mexico. The firm's myriad safety violations over the years have come to light in lieu of the Gulf disaster.BP traded on average at $56.86 in the first quarter, according to GuruFocus, a site that monitors the major trading moves of prominent investors. A list of major institutions' sales of BP stock are available at the market research website Morningstar.It's certainly unknown as to why the firms sold their holdings. In its analysis of the company in mid-March, Morningstar, the market research site, gave the company an average rating of three out of a possible five stars.

BP's valuation carries more uncertainty than ExxonMobil's or Shell's because the firm is less integrated, with more of its earnings coming from the [exploration and production] business than from potentially offsetting refining operations, the site's analyst wrote. Like its peers, a sustained drop in oil and gas prices can hurt upstream earnings. Lower crude-oil feedstock costs could help refining margins, but refined product pricing lags could quickly swing refining profits to losses. BP's global business faces potential disruptions caused by political risks, particularly with its heavy exposure to Russia. Disruptions caused by environmental and operational constraints could further limit earnings potential.The transnational oil company, like other energy giants, was hit with lower oil and gas prices in the past year after the price of oil surged in 2008.BP's fourth quarter marked another quarter of year-over-year production gains, with a 3% increase thanks to new field startups,Morningstar's analyst wrote in another note, after BP turned in better than expected fourth quarter results in February. BP reported fourth-quarter replacement cost profit of $3.4 billion, up 33% from year-ago earnings of $2.6 billion, as upstream earnings growth was more than enough to offset downstream weakness. For the full year, BP's earnings of $14 billion were 45% below year-ago earnings of $26 billion, in part because of lower oil prices earlier in the year. We're encouraged by BP's sequential earnings gains as new projects and cost-cutting efforts drive upstream results.The SEC filed a civil lawsuit against Goldman Sachs and one of its vice presidents in April, asserting that the firm had committed fraud by misrepresenting a mortgage-investment product inherently designed to fail. The company helped a hedge fund trader create a mortgage investment that gained value as mortgage borrowers defaulted en masse.In response, Goldman said the SEC's charges were completely unfounded in law and fact and averred that it would vigorously contest them and defend the firm and its reputation.The firm has also faced criticism over giant bonuses paid to staff amidst the US financial crisis. Goldman reduced the sizes of its staff bonuses this year to $16.9 billion, and said it would pay its chief executive $9 million, far less than the previous year.Goldman also announced it would create a $500 million program to help small businesses. Critics noted that the figure represented just 3% of the bonus pool.

BP cuts pipe, plans to lower cap over Gulf spill By GREG BLUESTEIN, Associated Press Writers - JUNE 3,10 1:45PM

METAIRIE, La. – BP sliced off a pipe with giant shears Thursday in the latest bid to curtail the worst spill in U.S. history, but the cut was jagged and placing a cap over the gusher will now be more challenging.BP turned to the shears after a diamond-tipped saw became stuck in the pipe halfway through the job, yet another frustrating delay in the six-week-old Gulf of Mexico spill.The cap will be lowered and sealed over the next couple of hours, said Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the government's point man for the disaster. It won't be known how much oil BP can siphon to a tanker on the surface until the cap is fitted, but the irregular cut means it won't fit as snugly as officials hoped.We'll have to see when we get the containment cap on it just how effective it is, Allen said. It will be a test and adapt phase as we move ahead, but it's a significant step forward.Even if it works, BP engineers expect oil to continue leaking into the ocean.The next chance to stop the flow won't come until two relief wells meant to plug the reservoir for good are finished in August.This latest attempt to control the spill, the so-called cut-and-cap method, is considered risky because slicing away a section of the 20-inch-wide riser removed a kink in the pipe, and could temporarily increase the flow of oil by as much as 20 percent.Live video footage showed oil spewing uninterrupted out of the top of the blowout preventer, but Allen said it was unclear whether the flow had increased.I don't think we'll know until the containment cap is seated on there, he said. We'll have to wait and see.

President Barack Obama will return to the Louisiana coast Friday to assess the latest efforts, his third trip to the region since the April 20 disaster. It's also his second visit in a week.BP's top executive acknowledged Thursday the global oil giant was unprepared to fight a catastrophic deepwater oil spill. Chief executive Tony Hayward told The Financial Times it was an entirely fair criticism to say the company had not been fully prepared for a deepwater oil leak. Hayward called it low-probability, high-impact accident.What is undoubtedly true is that we did not have the tools you would want in your tool-kit, Hayward said in an interview published in Thursday's edition of the London-based newspaper.Oil drifted six miles from the Florida Panhandle's popular sugar-white beaches, and crews on the mainland were doing everything possible to limit the catastrophe.The Coast Guard's Allen directed BP to pay for five additional sand barrier projects in Louisiana. BP said Thursday the project will cost it about $360 million, on top of about $990 million it had spent on response and clean up, grants to four Gulf coast states and claims from people and companies hurt by the spill.Mark Johnecheck, a 68-year-old retired Navy captain from Pensacola, sat on a black folding chair as rough surf crashed ashore at Pensacola Beach and children splashed in the water. Johnecheck has lived in the Pensacola area since the 1960s, but doesn't come to the beach very often.The reason I'm here now is because I'm afraid it's going to be gone, he said. I'm really afraid that the next time I come out here it's not going to look like this.He said the arrival of the oil seems foregone: I don't know what else they can do, he said.It just makes you feel helpless.His wife walks up and becomes emotional thinking about the oil. It's like grieving somebody on their dying bed, said Marjorie Johnecheck, 62. Next to her chair is a small white pail full of sugary Panhandle sand. She will take it home and put it in a decorative jar.

I'm taking it home before it gets black, she said. Forecasters said the oil would probably wash up by Friday, threatening a delicate network of islands, bays and beaches that are a haven for wildlife and a major tourist destination dubbed the Redneck Riviera. Officials said the slick sighted offshore consisted in part of "tar mats about 500 feet by 2,000 feet in size. County officials set up the booms to block oil from reaching inland waterways but planned to leave beaches unprotected because they are too difficult to defend against the action of the waves and because they are easier to clean up. Anne Wilson, a 62-year-old retired teachers aide who has lived in Pensacola Beach for the last year and a half, felt helpless. There's nothing more you can do,said Wilson, who lived in Valdez, Alaska, near the Exxon spill in 1989.It's up to Mother Nature to take care of things. Humans can only do so much.Florida's beaches play a crucial role in the state's tourism industry. At least 60 percent of vacation spending in the state during 2008 was in beachfront cities. Worried that reports of oil would scare tourists away, state officials are promoting interactive Web maps and Twitter feeds to show travelers — particularly those from overseas — how large the state is and how distant their destinations may be from the spill.

The effect on wildlife has grown, too. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported 522 dead birds — at least 38 of them oiled — along the Gulf coast states, and more than 80 oiled birds have been rescued. It's not clear exactly how many of the deaths can be attributed to the spill. Dead birds and animals found during spills are kept as evidence in locked freezers until investigations and damage assessments are complete, according to Teri Frady, a spokeswoman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This includes strict chain-of-custody procedures and long-term locked storage until the investigative and damage assessment phases of the spill are complete,she wrote in an e-mail.Associated Press writers Adam Geller and Janet McConnaughey in New Orleans, Melissa Nelson and Matt Sedensky in Pensacola and Travis Reed in Miami also contributed to this report.

Once again, BP experiment in Gulf spill hits snag By MELISSA NELSON and ADAM GELLER, Associated Press Writers – Thu Jun 3, 4:30 am ET

PENSACOLA, Fla. – BP fumbled its latest underwater experiment with the wild Gulf gusher — just like every other endeavor the company has tried to fix the nation's worst oil spill and BP's chief executive said the company wasn't fully prepared for the disaster.First, a 100-ton, four-story box couldn't contain the spill because icelike crystals clogged the top. Then, a straw-like device that actually did capture crude was inconsistent at best. The supposed top kill — shooting heavy mud and junk into the well — couldn't overcome the pressure of the oil. And the most recent risky gambit ran into trouble a mile under the sea Wednesday when a diamond-tipped saw became stuck after slicing through about half of the blown-out well.It took BP 12 hours to free the saw, and the company hopes to use giant shears similar to an oversized garden tool to snip off the pipe. However, the cut won't be as clean if successful, and a looser fitting cap will have to be placed over the spill.No timetable was given for when that might start, a familiar refrain in this six-week-old disaster.The Financial Times on Thursday quoted BP CEO Tony Hayward as saying it was entirely fair to criticize the company's preparations.The newspaper quotes Hayward as saying: What is undoubtedly true is that we did not have the tools you would want in your tool kit.However, Hayward said BP had been successful so far in keeping most of the oil away from the southeastern U.S. coast.Considering how big this has been, very little has got away from us,Hayward was quoted as saying.

So far, each novel attempt to stop more oil from spewing into the Gulf has dragged on and misfired. All along, the company has been drilling a relief well, the best option at stopping the gusher — but it's still two months away.Since the biggest oil spill in U.S. history began to unfold April 20 with an explosion that killed 11 workers aboard an offshore drilling rig, crude has fouled some 125 miles of Louisiana coastline and washed up in Alabama and Mississippi. The well has leaked anywhere from 21 million to 45 million gallons by the government's estimate.The latest attempt to stop it, the so-called cut-and-cap method, is considered risky because slicing away a section of the 20-inch-wide riser could remove kinks in the pipe and temporarily increase the flow of oil by as much as 20 percent.

And the situation on the water's surface becomes more dire with each day.

Oil drifted perilously close to the Florida Panhandle's famous sugar-white beaches, and crews on the mainland were doing everything possible to limit the catastrophe. Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the nation's point man for the spill, directed BP to pay for five additional sand barrier projects in Louisiana. Boats were also sent packing east, along with four helicopters to help skimmers spot oil threatening Alabama, Mississippi and the Florida coast.As the edge of the slick drifted within seven miles of Pensacola's beaches, emergency workers rushed to link the last in a miles-long chain of booms designed to fend off the oil. They were slowed by thunderstorms and wind before the weather cleared in the afternoon.Forecasters said the oil would probably wash up by Friday, threatening a delicate network of islands, bays and white-sand beaches that are a haven for wildlife and a major tourist destination dubbed the Redneck Riviera.We are doing what we can do, but we cannot change what has happened,said John Dosh, emergency director for Escambia County, which includes Pensacola.

The effect on wildlife has grown, too.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported 522 dead birds — at least 38 of them oiled — along the Gulf coast states, and more than 80 oiled birds have been rescued. It's not clear exactly how many of the deaths can be attributed to the spill. Dead birds and animals found during spills are kept as evidence in locked freezers until investigations and damage assessments are complete, according to Teri Frady, a spokeswoman for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. This includes strict chain-of-custody procedures and long-term locked storage until the investigative and damage assessment phases of the spill are complete,she wrote in an e-mail. As the oil drifted closer to Florida, beachgoers in Pensacola waded into the gentle waves, cast fishing lines and sunbathed, even as a two-man crew took water samples. One of the men said they were hired by BP to collect samples to be analyzed for tar and other pollutants. A few feet away, Martha Feinstein, 65, of Milton, Fla., pondered the fate of the beach she has been visiting for years. You sit on the edge of your seat and you wonder where it's going, she said. It's the saddest thing.
Officials said the slick sighted offshore consisted in part of tar mats about 500 feet by 2,000 feet in size. County officials set up the booms to block oil from reaching inland waterways but planned to leave beaches unprotected because they are too difficult to defend against the action of the waves and because they are easier to clean up. It's inevitable that we will see it on the beaches,said Keith Wilkins, deputy chief of neighborhood and community services for Escambia County. Florida's beaches play a crucial role in the state's tourism industry. At least 60 percent of vacation spending in the state during 2008 was in beachfront cities. Worried that reports of oil would scare tourists away, state officials are promoting interactive Web maps and Twitter feeds to show travelers — particularly those from overseas — how large the state is and how distant their destinations may be from the spill.
Melissa Nelson reported from Pensacola, Fla., and Adam Geller from New Orleans. Associated Press writers Greg Bluestein in Covington, La., Matt Sedensky in Pensacola, Travis Reed in Miami, Kevin McGill over the Gulf of Mexico, Darlene Superville and Pete Yost in Washington, Brian Skoloff in Port Fourchon, La., Mary Foster in Boothville, La., and Michael Kunzelman in New Orleans also contributed to this report.

BP has another setback as oil slick threatens Fla. By MELISSA NELSON and ADAM GELLER, Associated Press Writers 9PM JUNE 2,10

PENSACOLA, Fla. – The BP oil slick drifted perilously close to the Florida Panhandle's famous sugar-white beaches Wednesday as a risky gambit to contain the leak by shearing off the well pipe ran into trouble a mile under the sea when the diamond-tipped saw became stuck.The saw had sliced through about half of the pipe when it snagged, and it took BP 12 hours to free it. The company said preparations were being made to resume cutting, but didn't give a timetable on when it might start.The plan is to fit a cap on the blown-out well at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico to capture most of the spewing oil; the twisted, broken pipe must be sliced first to allow a snug fit.I don't think the issue is whether or not we can make the second cut. It's about how fine we can make it, how smooth we can make it, said Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the government's point man for the crisis.As the edge of the slick drifted within seven miles of Pensacola's beaches, emergency workers rushed to link the last in a miles-long chain of booms designed to fend off the oil. They were slowed by thunderstorms and wind before the weather cleared in the afternoon.Forecasters said the oil would probably wash up by Friday, threatening a delicate network of islands, bays and white-sand beaches that are a haven for wildlife and a major tourist destination dubbed the Redneck Riviera.We are doing what we can do, but we cannot change what has happened, said John Dosh, emergency director for Escambia County, which includes Pensacola.

Allen said more staff, boats and helicopters were sent to the eastern Gulf Coast as the slick spread, including a cutter in Mobile Bay, Ala., and one off Pensacola. The boats will help skim oil and add more boom to collect it. Four helicopters would help skimmers spot threatening oil.Since the biggest oil spill in U.S. history began to unfold April 20 with an explosion that killed 11 workers aboard an offshore drilling rig, crude has fouled some 125 miles of Louisiana coastline and washed up in Alabama and Mississippi as well. Over the past six weeks, the well has leaked anywhere from 21 million to 45 million gallons by the government's estimate.The latest attempt to control the leak is considered risky because slicing away a section of the 20-inch-wide riser could remove kinks in the pipe and temporarily increase the flow of oil by as much as 20 percent. The cap could be placed over the spill as early as Wednesday.If the strategy fails — like every other attempt to control the leak 5,000 feet underwater — the best hope is probably a relief well, which is at least two months from completion.As the oil drifted closer to Florida, beachgoers in Pensacola waded into the gentle waves, cast fishing lines and sunbathed, even as a two-man crew took water samples. One of the men said they were hired by BP to collect samples to be analyzed for tar and other pollutants.A few feet away, Martha Feinstein, 65, of Milton, Fla., pondered the fate of the beach she has been visiting for years. You sit on the edge of your seat and you wonder where it's going,she said. It's the saddest thing.Officials said the slick sighted offshore consisted in part of tar mats about 500 feet by 2,000 feet in size.

County officials set up the booms to block oil from reaching inland waterways but planned to leave beaches unprotected because they are too difficult to defend against the action of the waves and because they are easier to clean up.It's inevitable that we will see it on the beaches, said Keith Wilkins, deputy chief of neighborhood and community services for Escambia County.Florida's beaches play a crucial role in the state's tourism industry. At least 60 percent of vacation spending in the state during 2008 was in beachfront cities. Worried that reports of oil would scare tourists away, state officials are promoting interactive Web maps and Twitter feeds to show travelers — particularly those from overseas — how large the state is and how distant their destinations may be from the spill.

In other developments:
- Investors ran from BP's stock for a second day, fearful of the potential cleanup costs, lawsuits, penalties and damage to the company's reputation.
- President Barack Obama said it is time to roll back billions of dollars in tax breaks for oil companies and use the money for clean energy research and development.
- A pair of Democratic senators pressed BP to delay plans to pay shareholder dividends worth $10 billion or more. They called it unfathomable that BP would pay out a dividend before the total cost of the cleanup is known. BP had no comment.
- More fishing grounds were closed. More than one-third of federal waters in the Gulf are now off-limits to fishing, along with hundreds of square miles of state waters.

I'm going to be bankrupt very soon, said fisherman Hong Le, who came to the U.S. from Vietnam and rebuilt his home and business after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 wiped him out. Everything is financed. How can I pay? No fishing, no welding. I weld on commercial fishing boats and they aren't going out now, so nothing breaks.Melissa Nelson reported from Pensacola, Fla., and Adam Geller from New Orleans. Associated Press writers Greg Bluestein in Covington, La., Matt Sedensky in Pensacola, Travis Reed in Miami, Kevin McGill over the Gulf of Mexico, Darlene Superville and Pete Yost in Washington, Brian Skoloff in Port Fourchon, La., Mary Foster in Boothville, La., and Michael Kunzelman in New Orleans also contributed to this report.

In oil spill shadow, Obama pledges energy bill push
By Alister Bull JUNE 2,10

PITTSBURGH (Reuters) – President Barack Obama pledged on Wednesday to find support in the Senate for a bill to overhaul U.S. energy policy, using the Gulf of Mexico oil spill to hasten production of cleaner renewable fuels.Obama, in remarks at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, also said he expected to see strong job growth reflected in the May jobs report to be released on Friday.The president had planned to focus his year on boosting jobs in the United States, where unemployment is hovering near 10 percent, but other issues -- healthcare reform, changes to financial regulation, and now the Gulf of Mexico oil spill -- have distracted attention from that.Obama, a Democrat, accused Republicans of sitting on the sidelines while his administration worked to rescue the economy. But he also said he would seek their support to pass energy legislation in the U.S. Senate despite strong resistance ahead of November congressional elections.The votes may not be there right now, but I intend to find them in the coming months, Obama said, referring to a bill that is languishing in the Senate.I will continue to make the case for a clean energy future wherever and whenever I can. I will work with anyone to get this done. And we will get it done, he said to applause.The House of Representatives has already passed a bill that would put limits on greenhouse gas emissions, but a similar effort has stalled in the Senate.Obama said the oil spill should prompt Americans to acknowledge that the United States could not depend solely on fossil fuels in the future.That meant tapping into U.S. reserves of natural gas, increasing the number of nuclear power plants, and rolling back billions of dollars of tax breaks to oil companies so we can prioritize investments in clean energy research and development.

SHORT TERM SOLUTION

He said the United States could only pursue offshore drilling as a short-term solution to its energy needs and said U.S. dependence on fossil fuels threatened its security while putting the economy and the environment at risk.Obama also pushed his case for a system that would limit greenhouse gas emissions from industry, a key ingredient for the United States in a still elusive global agreement to fight climate change.The only way the transition to clean energy will ultimately succeed is if the private sector is fully invested in this future -- if capital comes off the sidelines and the ingenuity of our entrepreneurs is unleashed, he said.And the only way to do that is by finally putting a price on carbon pollution.In the coming weeks Democrats in the Senate are expected to plot strategy for dealing with energy and environment legislation. Prior to Obama's remarks on Wednesday there was little evidence the Senate would take up a comprehensive measure this year.Nevertheless, Democratic Senator John Kerry has been hoping the full Senate would debate and vote on a bill in late June or early July, leaving enough time in September or October to work out a final bill with the House.An Environmental Protection Agency economic analysis of the a climate and energy bill written by Kerry and independent Senator Joseph Lieberman is expected sometime in June.(Writing by Jeff Mason; additional reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

Effort to contain Gulf oil stalls with stuck saw By KEVIN MCGILL, Associated Press Writer - WED JUNE 2,10 10:10AM

SCHRIEVER, La. – Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen is saying that a saw has become stuck as it was cutting through a pipe on a busted well, stalling the latest attempt to contain the Gulf oil gusher.Allen said Wednesday the goal is to free the saw and finish the cut later in the day. This is the second major cut in the effort to contain — not plug — the nation's worst spill.Allen says the first cut with giant shears was successful overnight.The best chance at plugging the leak involves a relief well that is at least two months from completion.

Oil closes in on Fla. as BP tries risky cap move By GREG BLUESTEIN and BRIAN SKOLOFF, Associated Press Writers - JUNE 2,10

PORT FOURCHON, La. – As submersible robots made another risky attempt to control the underwater Gulf oil gusher, the crude on the surface spread, closing in on Florida. BP's stock plummeted and took much of the market down with it, and the federal government announced criminal and civil investigations into the spill.

The stakes couldn't be higher.After six weeks of failures to block the well or divert the oil, the latest mission involved using a set of tools akin to an oversized deli slicer and garden shears to break away the broken riser pipe so engineers can then position a cap over the well's opening.But it's a big gamble: Even if it succeeds, it will temporarily increase the flow of an already massive leak by 20 percent — at least 100,000 gallons more a day. That's on top of the estimated 500,000 to 1 million gallons gushing out already.In Florida, officials confirmed an oil sheen about nine miles from the famous white sands of Pensacola beach. Crews shored up miles of boom and prepared for the mess to make landfall as early as Wednesday.It's inevitable that we will see it on the beaches, said Keith Wilkins, deputy chief of neighborhood and community services for Escambia County.

Florida would be the fourth state hit. Crude has already been reported along barrier islands in Alabama and Mississippi, and it has impacted some 125 miles of Louisiana coastline.More federal fishing waters were closed, too, another setback for one of the region's most important industries. More than one-third of federal waters were off-limits for fishing, along with hundreds of square miles of state waters.Fisherman Hong Le, who came to the U.S. from Vietnam, had rebuilt his home and business after Hurricane Katrina wiped him out. Now he's facing a similiar situation.I'm going to be bankrupt very soon," Le, 53, said as he attended a meeting for fishermen hoping for help. Everything is financed, how can I pay? No fishing, no welding. I weld on commercial fishing boats and they aren't going out now, so nothing breaks.Le, like other of the fishermen, received $5,000 from BP PLC, but it was quickly gone.I call that Shut your mouth money,said Murray Volk, 46, of Empire, who's been fishing for nearly 30 years. That won't pay the insurance on my boat and house. They say there'll be more later, but do you think the electric company will wait for that?

BP may have bigger problems, though.Attorney General Eric Holder, who visited the Gulf on Tuesday to survey the fragile coastline and meet with state and federal prosecutors, would not say who might be targeted in the probes into the largest oil spill in U.S. history.We will closely examine the actions of those involved in the spill. If we find evidence of illegal behavior, we will be extremely forceful in our response,Holder said in New Orleans.The federal government also ramped up its response to the spill with President Barack Obama ordering the co-chairmen of an independent commission investigating the spill to thoroughly examine the disaster, to follow the facts wherever they lead, without fear or favor.The president said that if laws are insufficient, they'll be changed. He said that if government oversight wasn't tough enough, that will change, too.BP's stock nose-dived on Tuesday, losing nearly 15 percent of its value on the first trading day since the previous best option — the so-called top kill — failed and was aborted at the government's direction. It dipped steeply with Holder's late-afternoon announcement, which also sent other energy stocks tumbling, ultimately causing the Dow Jones industrial average to tumble 112. If BP's new effort to contain the leak fails, the procedure will have made the biggest oil spill in U.S. history even worse. It is an engineer's nightmare,said Ed Overton, a Louisiana State University professor of environmental sciences.They're trying to fit a 21-inch cap over a 20-inch pipe a mile away. That's just horrendously hard to do. It's not like you and I standing on the ground pushing — they're using little robots to do this.Since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on April 20, eventually collapsing into the Gulf of Mexico, an estimated 20 million to 40 million gallons of oil has spewed, eclipsing the 11 million that leaked from the Exxon Valdez disaster. BP PLC's Doug Suttles said that although there's no guarantee the company's latest cut-and-cap effort to close off the leak will work, he remained hopeful, but wouldn't guarantee success.

Engineers have put underwater robots and equipment in place this week after a bold attempt to plug the well by force-feeding it heavy mud and cement — called a top kill — was aborted over the weekend. Crews pumped thousands of gallons of the mud into the well but were unable to overcome the pressure of the oil. The company said if the small dome is successful it could capture and siphon a majority of the gushing oil to the surface. But the cut and cap will not halt the oil flow, just capture some of it and funnel it to vessels waiting at the surface. The British oil giant has tried and failed repeatedly to halt the flow of the oil, and this attempt like others has never been tried before a mile beneath the ocean. Experts warned it could be even riskier than the others because slicing open the 20-inch riser could unleash more oil if there was a kink in the pipe that restricted some of the flow.

Eric Smith, an associate director of the Tulane Energy Institute, likened the procedure to trying to place a tiny cap on a fire hydrant that's blowing straight up. Will they have enough weight to overcome the force of the flow? he said.It could create a lot of turbulence, but I do think they'll have enough weight.But BP's best chance to actually plug the leak rests with a pair of relief wells but those won't likely be completed until August. The company has carefully prepared the next phase, knowing that another failure could mean millions more gallons spew into the ocean and lead to even more public pressure. And they say they have learned valuable lessons from the failure of a bigger version of the containment cap last month that was clogged with icelike slush.Bluestein reported from Covington, La. Associated Press writers Darlene Superville and Pete Yost from Washington, Curt Anderson from Miami, Brian Skoloff from Port Fourchon, Mary Foster in Boothville, and Michael Kunzelman also contributed to this report.

Red-brown oil washes up on Dauphin Island, Ala., 3 weeks after tar balls found Published June 01, 2010| Associated Press

DAUPHIN ISLAND, Ala. (AP) — Red-brown oil is making its first appearance on an Alabama island near the mouth of Mobile Bay, three weeks after tar balls were found there.Donald Williamson, director of the state Department of Public Health, said weathered patches of oil washed up on Dauphin Island's east end Tuesday, prompting officials to close some state waters to fishing and post warnings urging beachgoers to stay out of the water.Dauphin Island is a popular tourist destination.

Pam Anderson Calls Gulf Oil Spill End of the World.Does Rest of Hollywood Agree? By Hollie McKay Published June 01, 2010| FOXNews.com

LOS ANGELES-Pamela Anderson says she’s doing what she can to combat the catastrophic oil spill that continues to pollute the Gulf of Mexico and threaten America's southern shores. But is she one of the few stars stepping up to play a role in the clean-up? It’s terrible, it’s awful. It feels like it is the end of the world to me, the actress/animal rights activist told Pop Tarts at last week’s Big Bluff Online Trivia Game launch. I’m working with international bird rescue, they’re expecting (it to get a lot worse) which is unbelievable. It’s the worst thing that could happen, and we won’t know what the effects are until later.And as thousands of gallons of oil continue to spill every day, it seems the majority of Hollywood, a community often given to preaching on green issues, is staying away. Granted, there were some celebrities like Conan O’Brien and Jimmy Fallon who took to Twitter to express their thoughts on the issue, but unlike the tragedy in Haiti in January, there hasn’t been an outpouring of donations, large-scale fund-raisers, contribution-driven websites and hotlines, or PSAs encouraging Americans to do all they can to help out.Hollywood stars have a romance with saving foreign countries, they see America as this rich and powerful country that should fix problems on its own,said media expert Michael Levine. Celebrities feel heroic in saving people from other places. Patriotism isn’t of interest, sometimes Hollywood forgets that America needs care and consideration too.

Hollywood’s heavyweights are certainly not afraid to dig very deep into their pockets in times of global disaster. It was well-documented in the press that celebrities including Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Sandra Bullock and Madonna collectively donated millions to the earthquake relief. Actor George Clooney used his star status to raise over $57 million in his Hope For Haiti telethon. Queen Latifah, Sean Diddy Combs and Pharrell Williams hosted another telethon in conjunction with BET, and Sean Penn even hightailed it to the poverty-stricken country to personally lend his hand with refugee efforts.But according to other entertainment industry experts, it’s not a case of celebrities only wanting to help out foreign countries: it’s a case of this being a man-made disaster as opposed to a natural one.It's politically safer when its victims on one side and a catastrophic event on the other. In that case, there is only one side to be on. Man-made catastrophes are not as clear-cut. This one is filled with politically loaded issues of off-shore oil drilling, dependence on foreign oil and the environment, explained Glenn Selig, founder of The Publicity Agency. Plus BP employees died. You don't want to make those victims part of an evil oil company that created the mess. It's complicated, which makes it a very tough issue to rally around.

Media expert Dana Livingston Ward echoed Selig's sentiments.We're all referring to this environmental mishap as the BP oil spill, which automatically places blame on BP, therefore no one - Hollywood included - feels the need to pay for a problem caused by someone else,said Ward. In the end, the Gulf oil spill is an issue that does indeed affect our people, so celebs and the rest of Americans should be just as quick to help create a solution for this latest disaster... even if it's simply speaking up to raise awareness and thus force the guilty party to remedy the situation in more timely manner.Still, there are some stars that aren’t afraid to bypass the politics to do what they can for the sake of the environment and those affected.Waterworld star Kevin Costner, who 15 years ago began funding the work of Louisiana-based firm Ocean Therapy solutions, has offered up his multi-million dollar machines which function like a vacuum to separate water and oil, purifying both in the process. Director James Cameron has loaned the submersibles used to shoot Titanic to the crews trying to stop the underwater geyser, and Robert Redford appeared in a commercial encouraging Americans to Call For Clean Energy Now.In addition Lenny Kravitz, John Legend, and Mos Def recently performed at a benefit for the Gulf Relief Foundation in New Orleans to raise funds for fisherman affected by the disaster, and 90’s pop sensation Sophie B. Hawkins is donating 100 percent of the net proceeds from her new song The Land, the Sea & the Sky to the Waterkeeper Alliance’s clean-up efforts in the region.But despite her concern over the wildlife affected by the spill, Anderson has faith that President Obama, despite the harsh criticism he has been under for not doing enough.I (totally blame) the oil people. They made a big mistake of not having a back-up plan,Anderson added.I would definitely like to see Obama do more, but I also want to support him and what he stands for. I think he’s a good president and he’s very compassionate, and we have to just trust that he knows best.Additional reporting by Deidre Behar

Feds open criminal probe of Gulf oil spill By BEN NUCKOLS and JANE WARDELL, Associated Press Writers - JUNE 1,10 4:25PM

PORT FOURCHON, La. – Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday that federal authorities have opened criminal and civil investigations into the nation's worst oil spill, and BP lost billions in market value when shares dropped in the first trading day since the company failed yet again to plug the gusher.Investors presumably realized the best chance to stop the leak was months away and there was no end in sight to the cleanup. As BP settled in for the long-term, Holder announced the criminal probe, though he would not specify the companies or individuals that might be targeted.We will closely examine the actions of those involved in the spill. If we find evidence of illegal behavior, we will be extremely forceful in our response, Holder said in New Orleans.With the ambitious top kill abandoned over the weekend, BP's hope to stanch the leak lies with two relief wells that won't be finished until at least August. The company is, however, trying another risky temporary fix to contain the oil and siphon it to the surface by sawing through the leaking pipe and putting a cap over the spill.Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the national incident commander, said Tuesday that BP was making its first major cut with super shears that weigh 46,000 pounds and resemble a giant garden tool. The company will also use a powerful diamond-edged cutter the resembles a deli slicer to try to make a clean cut above the blowout preventer, then will lower a cap over it with a rubber seal.After several failed attempts to divert or block the well, BP's latest attempt involves cutting the broken riser pipe, making it spew as much as 20 percent more oil into the water for days while engineers try to position a cap over the opening.

Eric Smith, an associate director of the Tulane Energy Institute, said the strategy had about a 50 to 70 percent chance to succeed. He likened it to trying to place a tiny cap on a fire hydrant.Will they have enough weight to overcome the force of the flow? he said. It could create a lot of turbulence, but I do think they'll have enough weight.BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles said there was no guarantee the cut-and-cap effort would work. He did say the company has learned from past efforts to contain the leak, which gives them a better shot at success.I'm very hopeful,Suttles said.I think we'll find out over the next couple of days.The cleanup, relief wells and temporary fixes were being watched closely by President Barack Obama's administration.The president gave the leaders of an independent commission investigating the spill orders to thoroughly examine the disaster and its causes, and to follow the facts wherever they lead, without fear or favor.The president said that if laws are insufficient, they'll be changed. He said that if government oversight wasn't tough enough, that will change, too.Meanwhile, BP spokesman Graham MacEwen said the company was awaiting analysis of water samples taken in the Gulf before making a final determination on whether huge plumes of oil are suspended underwater. CEO Tony Hayward said Sunday there was no evidence of the plumes even though several scientists have made the claims.

Billy Nungesser, president of Plaquemines Parish, fired back at Hayward.We ought to take him offshore and dunk him 10 feet underwater and pull him up and ask him What's that all over your face? said Nungesser.On the business side of things, the company's share price, which has fallen steadily since the start of the disaster, took a turn for the worse Tuesday, losing 15 percent to $6.13 in early afternoon trading on the London Stock Exchange.That was the lowest level in more than a year. The shares have now lost more than a third of their value, wiping some $63 billion off BP's value, since the explosion at the Deepwater Horizon oil rig six weeks ago. BP said early Tuesday it had spent $990 million so far on fighting and cleaning the spill, with multiple lawsuits for damages yet to be tallied. The Coast Guard also announced that it was replacing the admiral who has been the federal on-scene coordinator since the oil rig exploded, though the agency said the change was previously planned. Rear Adm. Mary Landry will now return to duties as commandant of the 8th Coast Guard District in New Orleans to focus on hurricane season preparations. BP failed to plug the leak Saturday after several attempts with its top kill, which shot mud and pieces of rubber into the well but couldn't beat back the pressure of the oil.The spill has already leaked between 20 million and 44 million gallons, according to government estimates.

The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration also announced that almost one-third of federal waters — or nearly 76,000 square miles — in the Gulf were closing to commercial and recreational fishing because of the spill. The relief well is the best chance to stop the leak. A bore hole must precisely intersect the damaged well, which experts have compared to hitting a target the size of a dinner plate more than two miles into the earth. If it misses, BP will have to back up its drill, plug the hole it just created, and try again. The probability of them hitting it on the very first shot is virtually nil,said David Rensink, incoming president of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, who spent most of his 39 years in the oil industry in offshore exploration.If they get it on the first three or four shots they'd be very lucky.The trial-and-error process could take weeks, but it will eventually work, scientists and BP said. Then engineers will then pump mud and cement through pipes to ultimately seal the well. On the slim chance the relief well doesn't work, scientists weren't sure exactly how much — or how long — the oil would flow. The gusher would continue until the well bore hole collapsed or pressure in the reservoir dropped to a point where oil was no longer pushed to the surface, said Tad Patzek, chair of the Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering Department at the University of Texas-Austin.Wardell reported from London. Associated Press writers Michael Kunzelman and Kevin McGill in New Orleans, Greg Bluestein in Covington, and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.

BP shares plunge as next Gulf fix gets underway By BEN NUCKOLS and JANE WARDELL, Associated Press Writer - JUNE 1,10 11:00AM

PORT FOURCHON, La. – BP lost billions more in market value Tuesday when shares fell steeply in the first trading day since the company failed to plug the worst oil spill in U.S. history, as investors realized the best chance to stop the leak was months away and there was no end in sight to the cleanup.As hurricane season began on the fragile Gulf Coast, BP settled in for the long-term. With the ambitious top kill abandoned over the weekend, BP's hope to stanch the leak lies with two relief wells that won't be finished until at least August. The company is, however, trying another temporary fix to contain the oil and siphon it to the surface by sawing through the leaking pipe and putting a cap over the spill.The cleanup, relief wells and temporary fixes were being watched closely by President Barack Obama's administration. Obama planned to meet for the first time Tuesday with the co-chairmen of an independent commission investigating the spill, while Attorney General Eric Holder was headed to the Gulf Coast to meet with state attorneys general.Obama's energy czar, Carol Browner, said she doesn't want to guess the prospects for success on BP's containment cap.Interviewed Tuesday on ABC's Good Morning America,Browner said,I don't want to put odds on it. ... We want to get this thing contained.Browner also said she's concerned about the effect the hurricane season, which began Tuesday, could have on ending the environmental crisis.

To accommodate more than 500 workers hired to clean up the worst oil spill in U.S. history, BP and several subcontractors have set up floating hotels, or "flotels," made up of steel boxes resembling oversized shipping containers and stacked atop barges.At Port Fourchon, the oil industry's hub on the Gulf , a flotel there is the only way to station workers in a massive shipyard surrounded by ecologically sensitive marshes and beaches.There are no permanent residents here on the port, said Dennis Link, a manager from a BP refinery who's handling logistics at the 1,300-acre site that's easily accessible by ship, but reachable on land only by a state road that snakes through the bayous. On Monday afternoon, the living quarters on the flotel sat empty. Generators pumped in cool air and powered the lights, and at the foot of each bunk sat a towel, washcloth and individually wrapped bar of soap. If necessary, four tents on dry land nearby can house 500 more workers. Workers will likely be trucked in on the two-lane state road.The accommodations on the barge are Spartan, but comfortable — similar to military barracks. Each pod contains 12 bunks, with a bathroom for every four. Per Coast Guard standards, each resident gets 30 square feet of space in the quarters. The barge has 10 washers, 10 dryers and a kitchen, although food will be served in a tent on land. The quarters are typically floated alongside offshore oil rigs to supplement housing on the drilling operations.

Another flotel sits about 15 miles away, off Grand Isle, and BP plans to establish them elsewhere along the coast.Meanwhile, the company's share price, which has fallen steadily since the start of the disaster, took a turn for the worse Tuesday, losing 15 percent to $6.13 in early afternoon trading on the London Stock Exchange.
That was the lowest level in more than a year. The shares have now lost more than a third of their value, wiping some $63 billion off BP's value, since the explosion at the Deepwater Horizon oil rig six weeks ago.BP said early Tuesday it had spent $990 million so far on fighting and cleaning the spill, with multiple lawsuits for damages yet to be tallied.Cleanup efforts are being ramped up while BP tries the latest of patchwork fixes, this one the cut-and-cap process. The risky procedure could, at least temporarily, increase the oil flowing from the busted well. Using robot submarines, BP plans to cut away the riser pipe this week and place a cap-like containment valve over the blowout preventer. On Tuesday, live video feeds showed robot submarines using a circular diamond saw to cut pipes at the bottom of the Gulf. We are well into the operation to put this cap on the well now, BP Managing Director Bob Dudley told NBC's Today show on Tuesday. BP failed to plug the leak Saturday with its top kill, which shot mud and pieces of rubber into the well but couldn't beat back the pressure of the oil. The oil company also announced plans Monday to try attaching another pipe to a separate opening on the blowout preventer with some of the same equipment used to pump in mud during the top kill. The company also wants to build a new freestanding riser to carry oil toward the surface, which would give it more flexibility to disconnect and then reconnect containment pipes if a hurricane passed through.

Neither of those plans would start before mid-June and would supplement the cut-and-cap effort. The spill has already leaked between 20 million and 44 million gallons, according to government estimates. For the relief well to succeed, the bore hole must precisely intersect the damaged well, which experts have compared to hitting a target the size of a dinner plate more than two miles into the earth. If it misses, BP will have to back up its drill, plug the hole it just created, and try again. The probability of them hitting it on the very first shot is virtually nil, said David Rensink, incoming president of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, who spent most of his 39 years in the oil industry in offshore exploration.If they get it on the first three or four shots they'd be very lucky.The trial-and-error process could take weeks, but it will eventually work, scientists and BP said. Then engineers will then pump mud and cement through pipes to ultimately seal the well. On the slim chance the relief well doesn't work, scientists weren't sure exactly how much — or how long — the oil would flow. The gusher would continue until the well bore hole collapsed or pressure in the reservoir dropped to a point where oil was no longer pushed to the surface, said Tad Patzek, chair of the Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering Department at the University of Texas-Austin.Wardell reported from London.