BP Oil Spill Latest - Does Permanent Plug mean Relief Well no Longer Needed?

Pressure tests performed on the previously leaking well on Thursday should reveal if the leak has been stopped well enough to declare the operation complete. A this stage it will be decided if the well is permanently plugged and if drilling of a relief well is still necessary.

BP said last week its "static kill" procedure had successfully stopped the leak..

This live feed is monitoring the current situation:

Gulf of Mexico webcam

Location Information:

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill (also referred to as the BP oil spill, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the BP oil disaster or the Macondo blowout) is a massive ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, now considered the largest offshore spill in U.S. history Some estimates placed it by late May or early June, 2010, as among the largest oil spills in the world with tens of millions of gallons spilled to date. The spill stems from a sea floor oil gusher that resulted from the April 20, 2010 Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion. The explosion killed 11 platform workers and injured 17 others.

BP Oil Spill Live Feed - Static Kill is Underway

Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon Webcam - BP Oil Spill Live Feed

Live underwater feed from the site of the BP oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico as attempts are in progress to kill the leak once and for all.

As what is hoped will be one of the final stages in stopping the leaking gulf oil well, the process of static kill is now underway as BP aim to permanently plug the well.

For the static kill process, mud is pumped into the top of the well, pushing the oil back down into the reservoir. After this procedure, which could last several days - the top of the well could be filled with cement.

This live feed will capture all of the action as the attempt continues:

BP Oil Spill - Oil Well Leak to be Sealed

Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon Webcam - BP Oil Spill Live Feed

BP is due to begin sealing its oil well in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday night, a full three months after an accident led to the worst oil spill in US history.

Engineers are now preparing to pump mud and cement into the well in a procedure known as "static kill". This operation will be covered by this live underwater feed at the site:

Gulf of Mexico Webcam

Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon Webcam - BP Oil Spill Live Feed

Live webcam feed from underwater in the Gulf of Mexico, looking at the plugged oil well.

The positive news continues to emerge form the Gulf of Mexico, with claims now emerging that , as well as the plug on the previously leaking oil well continuing to hold, the water which was previously floating on the surface water of the gulf is already almost completely dispersed.

The live feed of the capped well shows the success of the current capping effort.

BP Oil Spill Live Feed - Pressure Tests Underway

Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon BP Oil Spill - Live Feed

As the Gulf of Mexico oil spill continues, optimism is growing that the latest capping attempt may prove successful, finally bringing an end to the flow of oil into the ocean.

Preparations are now well underway for a pressure test of the damaged oil well BP has said.

The test began late on Wednesday and is expected to last up to 48 hours. BP has said that valves were being positioned ready to gradually close the cap so that pressure could build up so the well's strength can be tested.

This live feed has a view directly over the leaking well, and will be one of the first to show whether the latest attempts are successful.