Gulf Spill Update: WH Admits Missed Oil Containment Deadline Missed

Brandon Stewart / July 02, 2010

Admiral Thad Allen, National Incident Commander for the BP oil spill, admitted in yesterday’s White House briefing that the government has failed to meet the President’s goal of recovering 90 percent of the flow coming from the spill site by the end of June. He conceded that that goal wouldn’t be attainable without installing a new cap.

REPORTER: A few weeks ago, one percentage figure that has been used by the President, and I believe you, Admiral Allen, was 90 percent — a few weeks ago the President said that in a few weeks 90 percent of whatever it is, the gas and the oil, the carbons coming up from the floor, would be capped. Where are we on that? Ninety percent of what?

ADMIRAL ALLEN: Ninety percent of the flow coming out of the wellbore right now.
…
MR. GIBBS: Also, to add a little context to what the Admiral said, the hope for the kill line to the Helix was obviously the end of June — largely around today. Because of weather, equipment had to be taken off of the Enterprise that’s needed for the Helix. So the date for — which the Admiral said earlier in the briefing — is sort of midweek next week to bring the kill line to the Helix online that would take us what we believe to a capacity of around 50,000 to 53,000 barrels a day.

REPORTER: But that’s not 90 percent.

ADMIRAL ALLEN: No, the 90 percent is achieved with the second cap.

When asked by a reporter on a timeline for the new cap, Allen responded, “No decision like that is forthcoming right now. We’re technically reviewing all of those options right now.” (more…)