英國石油BP的工程師終於在17日以減壓井成功攔截墨西哥灣中破裂的深水地平線油井的漏油。這個減壓井自今年5月2日就開始鑽井動工。攔截漏油的工程措施，是由在墨西哥灣海底以下5.6公里處，也就是海面下7.2公里處，用水泥從破裂油井的底部灌注進去，以封住漏油的來源。
於4月20日爆裂的深水地平線油井，這個名稱廣為大眾所知，但是在業界一般則稱之為馬康多(Macondo)井，因為深水地平線油井是在馬康多油田進行鑽油作業。
國家緊急應變總指揮艾倫上將(Thad Allen)17日晚證實了攔截漏油的行動。他指出，「經由鑽油設備內嵌的感應器組合，以及精密儀器測量與油井套管距離的結果，BP的工程師以及聯邦政府的科學小組一致認為發展號三號減壓井已經攔截了馬康多油井。我們觀察到了鑽井液的減少，顯示了已經達成減壓井外的連結，在鑽頭靠近油井套管之前壓力升高，並且在馬康多油井的防爆器氣門的壓力增加。這些證據讓我們達成漏油攔截成功的結論。」
「雖然這些指標個別來說並無法達成具體的結論，但是總體的資料顯示兩個井已經連結起來。值得注意的是，並沒有任何的測量結果顯示井的環孔(annulus)與儲油井之間有任何的聯繫。如果這樣的情形出現的話，那底部封堵的運作期間出現的增壓可能會導致更多的漏油風險。因此，我們打算將繼續進行準備以水泥封堵環孔，完成油井的底部封堵作業。」
封堵油井的目的是為了防止出現石油再洩漏至墨西哥灣的可能性。
深水地平線油井的爆裂導致了長達87天的漏油，有410萬桶的原油從位於密西西比三角洲東南方80公里處的油井傾洩至墨西哥灣中。此外還有80萬桶的原油被BP撈起，以焚燒的方式處理，或是運到岸邊提煉。
這是美國史上最大的漏油事件，這起事件污染了從佛羅里達州到德州的海灘以及生物棲息地，迫使墨灣超過1/3的漁業停工，並且破壞了吸引觀光客前來的墨灣沿岸環境。成千上萬的人因此失業，還有超過2千名處理漏油的勞工因為接觸油污而生病。
在經過數度嘗試失敗後，BP在7月15日把油井蓋住，自此之後沒有新的原油從油井漏出。
到目前為止，民眾經由墨西哥灣賠償機構(Gulf Coast Claims Facility, GCCF)申請了6.3萬起賠償的案例，墨西哥灣賠償機構是一個由菲柏格(Kenneth Feinberg) 主持的獨立機構，於6月成立，是BP與歐巴馬政府協議下建立的機構。GCCF已經支付了1億5700萬美金的賠償金。
此外，超過15萬起賠償的案例已經立案，超過3億9500萬美元的賠償金已經藉由BP賠償的流程支付。
BP已經同意要將200億美元存入一個由第三方擔保的信託帳戶，用來支付跟漏油相關的花費。另外聯邦小型企業管理局至今已經審核通過312筆經濟受創貸款，將提供2700萬美金的貸款給墨灣地區因BP漏油而受創的小型企業。
大約長達175公里的墨灣海岸線目前正遭受中度至重度的漏油環境衝擊，大約800百公里的海岸線正遭受輕度到輕微影響的漏油環境衝擊。這些數據每天都會持續更新，讓應變計畫及現場作業可以更有效率地即時了解狀況並且採取立即行動，但是這些數據並不包括至今累積的環境衝擊，或是已經清理完成的海岸線資料。
BP engineers today succeeded in intercepting the damaged Deepwater Horizon oil well with a relief well they have been drilling since May 2.
The interception - nearly 3.5 miles below the sea floor and an additional mile below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico - will allow the final cement seal to be pumped into the damaged well from the bottom, finally killing it.
While the well is known to the general public as the Deepwater Horizon well after the oil rig leased by BP that exploded April 20, in the industry it is known as the Macondo well because it is drilled in the Macondo oil field.
National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen tonight confirmed the interception, saying, "Through a combination of sensors embedded in the drilling equipment and sophisticated instrumentation that is capable of sensing distance to the well casing, BP engineers and the federal science team have concluded that the Development Driller III relief well has intersected the Macondo well."
"This determination was made based on a loss of drilling fluids that indicated communication had been established beyond the relief well, the pressure exerted against the drill bit as it came in contact with the well casing and, finally, an increase in pressure in the choke line of the Macondo well blow out preventer," said Admiral Allen.
"While each of these indicators taken separately would not necessarily be conclusive, the aggregate data available supports the conclusion that the two wells are joined," he said.
"It is also important to note," said the admiral, "that none of the measurements supported a scenario where the annulus of the well is in communication with the [oil] reservoir." If that were the case, pressure increases during the bottom kill operation could pose a risk of more leaking oil.
"Accordingly," said Admiral Allen, "we intend to proceed with preparation to cement the annulus and complete the bottom kill of the well."
Killing this well is expected to finally put an end to the possibility that it could leak any more oil into the Gulf of Mexico.
The Deepwater Horizon explosion set off an 87 day oil spill that gushed 4.1 million barrels into the gulf about 50 miles southeast of the Mississippi Delta. An additional 800,000 barrels were captured by BP and either flared off or taken to shore for refining.
The largest spill in U.S. history, it fouled beaches and wildlife habitat from Texas to Florida, closed more than one-third of the entire gulf to fishing and ruined the Gulf Coast as a tourist attraction. Thousands of people were thrown out of work and more than 2,000 oil spill responders were sickened on the job.
After several unsuccessful attempts, BP capped the well on July 15 and no new oil has leaked into the gulf since.
To date, 62,983 claims have been opened through the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, the independent agency administered by Kenneth Feinberg which was formed in June as part of an agreement between BP and the Obama administration. The GCCF has disbursed more than $156.9 million.
In addition, more than 150,000 claims filed were filed and $395 million disbursed through the BP claims process.
BP has agreed to place a total of $20 billion in an escrow account to cover its costs related to the spill.
The Small Business Administration has approved 312 economic injury assistance loans to date, totaling more than $27 million for small businesses on the Gulf Coast impacted by the BP oil spill.
Approximately 109 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline is currently experiencing moderate to heavy oil impact. Some 494 miles of shoreline are experiencing light to trace oil impacts.
These numbers reflect a daily snapshot so that planning and field operations can more quickly respond to new impacts; they do not include cumulative impacts to date, or shoreline that has already been cleared.
