A key two-step procedure to seal BP Plc.'s Macondo well could begin late on Monday, the top U.S. oil spill official said on Sunday, according to Reuters. "That could start as early as Monday night" or perhaps early on Tuesday, retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen said, referring to the "static kill" procedure to pump heavy mud and cement into the top of the well. The well, which has caused the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history, has been temporarily sealed for over two weeks. But the "bottom kill," which will pump mud and cement through a relief well into the bottom of the well's reservoir, will seal the well once and for all, Allen said. "The static kill is not the end-all, be-all," Allen said. He added he would travel to BP's U.S. headquarters in Houston to oversee the "static kill" procedure, and will issue a letter to BP to formally approve it later on Sunday. The "bottom kill" procedure could begin 5-7 days after the "static kill" is finished, Allen said.
