Gulf of Mexico oil spill may take until Christmas to cap

One of the world’s leading experts on oil well management has warned it could take until this Christmas for oil company BP to cap the Gulf of Mexico spill.

Nansen Saleri, a Gulf drilling expert, said he hoped BP would meet its August timetable for capping the blown-out well, but made it clear success was not certain.

“I know it is a frightening assessment but everyone should be prepared for a worst-case scenario, and that could mean a Christmas timeframe,” said Saleri, chief executive of the consultancy group Quantum Reservoir Impact. “The probable outcome is much better but the technological challenges … are enormous.”

Saleri, who dealt personally with four blowouts during a career with Saudi Aramco and Chevron, said the BP fire and spill was the worst he had seen. He believes it may cause more damage than the Ixtoc I blowout 30 years ago, which is regarded as the most damaging of its kind.

BP faced renewed pressure to do more to contain the Gulf of Mexico spill as the US and Britain played down diplomatic tensions over the crisis.

Hurricanes also pose a problem. The hurricane season in the Gulf began this month, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted it will be “active to very active”, with up to 23 named storms and up to 14 hurricanes on the way.

Saleri said a bad storm could “really complicate” the environmental impact of spilled oil and delay relief drilling by two weeks every time a hurricane strikes.