Response teams were in a race against time Monday to close an oil leak stemming from last week's rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico, but authorities were already warning US states along the coastline to prepare for the worst, dpa reported. British oil giant BP and the US Coast Guard were using a series of complex manoeuvres in the hopes of sealing two separate leaks in the deepwater well, which was releasing about 160,000 litres per day into the Gulf. The spill had widened to about 1,500 square kilometres. Weather patterns would likely hold the widening oil slick about 50 kilometres off the coast for at least the next three days, US media reported. Still, Rear Admiral Mary Landry on Sunday said authorities were "preparing for coastal impact." At the moment the amount of oil being released was comparatively small - the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster spilled 42 million litres of oil. But if the sealing efforts are unsuccessful, the deepwater well could continue leaking for months. The well was drilled by the Deepwater Horizons exploratory rig that sunk on Thursday, two days after a sudden explosion that likely left 11 people dead. BP, which leased the rig and is responsible for the clean-up efforts, has sent 32 vessels to the region as part of a massive response effort. On Monday BP was mobilizing a separate rig that could drill a relief well. This second well would then inject a heavy fluid that might temporarily stop the leak until a permanent solution could be found. The teams were also considering sending down a dome-like structure that could collect the spilling oil, while environmental ships were engaged in efforts to collect oil that has already reached the surface. Response officials were to hold a news conference later Monday afternoon to offer an update on the operations.
