The ruptured Macondo well, a mile under the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana coast, has been pronounced dead following the worst oil disaster in U.S. history, but that doesn't mean work associated with the spill is complete, the government's point man for the disaster response said Monday.
BP said it resumed drilling Monday on a relief well, as efforts to permanently seal the previously leaking Gulf of Mexico oil well appeared to be entering their final stages.
The public may have seen the last video images of the failed blowout preventer from the BP oil well disaster, as authorities expressed possible security concerns.
A blowout preventer that may hold important forensic evidence as to why it failed, triggering the world's largest accidental oil spill, has been brought to the surface of the Gulf and placed on a vessel, officials said Saturday night.
Thad Allen, the government's point man on the BP oil disaster, said Tuesday current weather conditions are too rough to remove the blowout preventer on BP's ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico, but winds may ease enough by the weekend for work to continue.
High seas in the Gulf of Mexico have forced the postponement of an operation to remove the capping stack on the ruptured underwater oil well, detach the blowout preventer and replace it with a new one, BP said on its Twitter page Monday.
Three weeks after BP plugged its crippled Macondo oil well in the Gulf of Mexico with cement and mud from above, crews are "fishing" for pieces of drill pipe that need to be removed from inside the well's blowout preventer before crews can move on to the "bottom kill" -- the permanent fix for the well.
BP on Saturday was conducting a "fishing" operation aimed at finding and removing up to 3,500 feet of drill pipe from the capped Gulf well.
Adm. Thad Allen discusses the conflicting numbers of exactly how much oil is lingering in the Gulf.
The government's point man in charge of the response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill said it is "impossible" to lead cleanup efforts without cooperation from BP.
Adm. Thad Allen reveals a new timeline for stopping the oil and how much cleanup the government has left.
If all goes as planned, the "bottom kill" operation to permanently plug the ruptured underwater well in the Gulf of Mexico should be completed by the week after Labor Day, Thad Allen, the government's point man for the oil disaster, told CNN Thursday.
Scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution said they detected a plume of hydrocarbons in June that was at least 22 miles long and more than 3,000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, a residue of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Two weeks after BP plugged its damaged oil well in the Gulf of Mexico with cement and mud from above, the next step in the process to permanently shut down the apparatus is in limbo as scientists gauge the risks posed by pressure inside the well.
With conflicting numbers being released, how are we to know how much oil has actually been removed from the Gulf?
Adm. Thad Allen says that the relief well will be finished and that they will ultimately kill the well.
"Everyone agrees we need to go forward with the relief well," National Incident Commander Thad Allen said Friday of the now-plugged BP gusher in the Gulf, adding that officials are now considering other options in addition to the relief well.
On a visit to the Gulf Coast on Saturday, President Barack Obama said that while the gushing undersea BP oil well had been capped, the administration remains committed to ensuring a full cleanup and recovery for those crippled by the disaster.
Adm. Thad Allen says severe weather will delay the time crews can begin the "bottom kill" procedure to cement the well
The National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning for the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico as the fifth tropical depression of the Atlantic hurricane season formed in the southeastern Gulf.
Tom Foreman reports on group determined to build up a program to help those who need it during emergency evacuations.
CNN's Candy Crowley reflects about BP's response to the Gulf oil disaster with National Incident Commander Thad Allen.
The undersea gusher in the Gulf of Mexico has been brought under control, but the worst oil spill in U.S. history will continue to be felt along the Gulf Coast for some time, Obama administration officials said Sunday.
BP's Deepwater Horizon disaster may have drawn more public attention than any other oil spill, but there's a good chance that sordid history of spill cleanup efforts will repeat itself. That history is to bomb the crude with chemicals so it's out of sight, then place the incident out of mind once the slick appears to be gone.
National incident commander Thad Allen says cement is entering the oil well, but more work remains.
The beginning of the end could be little more than a week away for the capped, sunken oil well in the Gulf of Mexico -- that is, if the latest timeline for permanently killing the ruptured well holds up.
CNN's Ed Lavandera goes on the hunt for oil along the Louisiana coastline and finds the disaster isn't over.
BP began pouring cement into the undersea well in the Gulf of Mexico at 9:15 a.m. as part of the "static kill" procedure, the company said Thursday.
A demonstration shows what engineers will attempt on the temporarily-capped BP well.
A crucial test -- meant to determine whether an effort to seal the ruptured BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico could proceed -- has been delayed because of a small leak, the company said Monday.
CNN's Suzanne Malveaux talks to Ret. Adm. Thad Allen about the operation that could happen as early as Sunday.
What's next now that the oil stopped flowing, and what will happen when BP's crippled well in the Gulf of Mexico is finally, permanently sealed?
Authorities in Louisiana still don't know how long it will take to cap a well struck by a vessel off the coast, as they tried Wednesday to minimize the damage from leaking oil and gas.
Crews are back at BP's crippled oil well in the Gulf of Mexico, preparing for two efforts to seal the well, after activity was halted over the weekend because of bad weather.
CNN's David Mattingly reports on efforts resuming to clean up the Gulf oil spill after a storm delay.
Bonnie went out with a whimper Saturday, sparing Gulf Coast residents new misery and allowing some of the vessels working on BP's ruptured oil well to return to the site.
Oil left on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico is breaking down naturally now that the flow of crude has been cut off beneath the surface, a Coast Guard admiral said Sunday after touring the scene.
Forecasters dropped a tropical storm warning for the Gulf Coast region as Tropical Depression Bonnie weakened, the National Hurricane Center said Saturday.
The weather system known as Bonnie didn't pack the punch many South Florida residents were expecting. WSVN reports.
Adm. Thad Allen addresses possible tropical storm threat to the recovery effort in the Gulf oil spill.
Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said Thursday that a cap placed over the damaged well in the Gulf of Mexico will remain sealed even if a tropical storm forces vessels monitoring the area to evacuate. A sealed cap means no oil is escaping.
Tropical Depression 3 has formed and is moving west over the Bahamas, posing a threat to containment efforts in the Gulf.
A severe weather system heading northwest over the Caribbean could threaten the Gulf. CNN's Jacqui Jeras reports.
Here are answers to some basic questions about the massive oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico.
In a letter to BP, Adm. Thad Allen says a seep has been detected and must be evaluated.
As tests continue Tuesday on BP's ruptured oil well in the Gulf of Mexico, scientists are weighing a new option for permanently sealing it.
A federal panel begins a week of hearings into the cause of the Deepwater Horizon explosion. CNN's Mary Snow reports.
BP's stock price slipped 5% on Monday after a U.S. government official sparked concerns about oil seeping out of the capped well into the Gulf of Mexico.
The verdict so far: generally good news but still some uncertainty about whether there's a leak in BP's well in the Gulf of Mexico, now fitted with a containment cap.
A highly anticipated test designed to measure pressure within BP's ruptured Gulf of Mexico oil well finally began Thursday, and for the first time in nearly three months, oil stopped flowing into the Gulf.
Adm. Thad Allen says BP can proceed with the integrity tests on a new capping stack on its oil well in the Gulf.
BP said Sunday that it is "pleased" with how the operation to place a new cap on its ruptured undersea well is proceeding.
A dual-pronged effort to stop the oil gushing from BP's runaway well in the Gulf of Mexico shows promise for this weekend, the head of the government's response team said Friday.
Despite rough weather, the head of the U.S. oil disaster cleanup believes that the placement of a new containment cap and the deployment of key air and sea resources will eventually stop the massive amounts of oil from gushing out of a ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico.
CNN's Randi Kaye tracks the movement of the Gulf oil spill and the areas that it has affected.
CNN's Anderson Cooper talks to Julia Reed and John Young about why more skimmers have not been deployed to the Gulf.
The House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill that removes limits on financial damages that can be awarded for accidents off the U.S. coastline, such as the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that killed 11 workers.
Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen explains how Tropical Storm Alex could impact oil cleanup and recovery efforts.
Admiral Thad Allen updates media on the oil spill recovery efforts in the Gulf of Mexico.
Drilling of two "relief wells" -- viewed as the ultimate solution to the Deepwater Horizon gusher -- continue to be ahead of schedule, and the first well could reach its goal in three or four weeks, several weeks ahead of the projected mid-August date, Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen said Thursday.
CNN's Kyra Phillips spends a day with Admiral Thad Allen as he deals with the worst oil disaster in history.
Adm. Thad Allen, the retired Coast Guard commandant overseeing the response to BP's oil spill, sent a letter to Chief Executive Tony Hayward demanding more information on compensation provided to people affected by the disaster.
For thousands of people put out of work in the Gulf because of the oil spill, BP's checks to pay for lost wages and income are just not coming fast enough, if they come at all. The state of Louisiana is demanding that BP's claims database be made public so it can understand what's the holdup.
Admiral Thad Allen addresses frustrations of Gulf mayors who think BP and the government are moving too slow.
Natl. Incident Commander Thad Allen says the oil collected will increase, but the ultimate solution is the relief wells.
CNN's Tom Foreman explains the difficulty in sealing the vents on the capped oil well in the Gulf.
On day 46 of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, BP began to siphon oil from the ruptured undersea well to the surface, where it was flowing onto the awaiting drill ship Discover Enterprise.
Robot submarines steered a new cap to BP's ruptured undersea well in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday in the company's latest attempt to rein in the largest oil spill in U.S. history.
BP has abandoned use of the diamond wire saw that jammed, thwarting the company's latest attempt to slow the Gulf oil spill, and will instead use the giant robotic-arm cutting device that made Tuesday's successful first cut on the leaking well's riser, Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen told CNN Wednesday.
Pres. Obama speaks about the oil spill during his visit to Grand Isle, Louisiana.
BP resumed pumping heavyweight drilling mud Friday in its attempt to cap a breached oil well in what the company's top executive described as an "environmental catastrophe."
President Obama returned from a tour of the oil-stricken Gulf Coast on Friday and vowed to do all he could to help area residents and businesses clean up the mess and recover financially.
The federal government gave partial approval Thursday to Louisiana's plan to keep oil out of coastal estuaries by dredging up new barrier islands, the official leading the government's response to the Gulf of Mexico spill said.
Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser on Wednesday blasted the federal government's response to the oil spill that has fouled more than 100 miles of the state's coast, and called for its point man to step aside.
Legally, President Obama can effectively fire BP and have the federal government take over efforts to stop the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The question is whether that would help the situation.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says the government will do everything possible to clean up gulf oil spill.
The managing director of BP on Sunday defended his company against a perceived lack of credibility, insisting that "nobody is more devastated" by an underwater oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico.
BP Managing Director Robert Dudley talks about the distrust felt toward the company on Capitol Hill.
A "top kill" method intended to stop the runaway flow of oil in the Gulf of Mexico will likely be tried early next week, BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles said Friday.
Several restaurant owners and suppliers have filed a lawsuit to collect damages from BP. WWL reports.
Ben Stone knows quite a bit about disasters.
As Gulf Coast residents wait for a huge oil slick to reach their shores, the spill and the massive response already have begun wreaking havoc on livelihoods in a region where jobs are largely dependent on two ocean intensive industries: seafood and tourism.
Gulf coast residents braced Saturday for the arrival of a massive oil slick creeping toward shore as nearly a million feet of boom were deployed in an effort to protect precious estuaries and wildlife -- even as thousands of barrels of crude continued gushing into the water.
The U.S. Coast Guard seized seven tons of cocaine with an estimated street value of $8.4 million in what one officer called "the most dangerous operation of my career."
The Coast Guard is seeing more drug trafficking using semi-submersibles. CNN's Jeanne Meserve reports.
Sophisticated submarine-like boats are the latest tool drug runners are using to bring cocaine north from Colombia, U.S. officials say.
The U.S. Coast Guard announces a federal criminal probe into the San Francisco Bay oil spill.
The crew of the ship that ran into the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and spilled thousands of gallons of oil into the water last week has retained lawyers and is not complying with requests for interviews from the National Transportation Safety Board, a board member said Wednesday.
A National Transportation Safety Board team was on its way to California Saturday to probe why a container ship struck the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge earlier this week, spilling 58,000 gallons of oil into the water.
The head of the U.S. Coast Guard and a congressman planned to travel to the Coast Guard Academy on Thursday to speak to cadets about the discovery this summer of two small hangman's nooses on Coast Guard properties.
The men charged with rebuilding New Orleans -- Mayor Ray Nagin and President Bush's Katrina recovery chief, Coast Guard Vice Admiral Thad Allen -- are an unlikely pair.
Mayor Ray Nagin halted the return of New Orleans residents to the city Monday, citing the threat from the strengthening Tropical Storm Rita.
More New Orleanians are expected to return to their city Monday despite local and federal officials being at odds about when and how evacuees should come home.
New Orleans business owners started trickling into the city on Saturday and residents were expected to return next week, but the head of the federal government's response to the storm said he wished they wouldn't.
The Coast Guard officer in charge of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts for the federal government said Saturday his priority is to remove water from New Orleans as quickly as possible -- and he intends to coordinate the groups providing aid.
Coast Guard Vice Adm. Thad Allen will replace FEMA director Michael Brown as the on-site head of hurricane relief operations in the Gulf Coast, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced Friday afternoon.
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