BP to try top kill Wednesday

BP engineers say they have the equipment in place and on Wednesday will try to stem the flow of oil with the “top kill” method - pumping heavy drilling mud into a massive device on top of the gushing well. The top kill has proven successful in aboveground wells, but has never before been tried a mile beneath the sea. (Source: AP via Mobile Press-Register, 05/25/10) The company is also looking at contingency plans should the top kill fail, including replacing the damaged riser pipe at the well, an option that would be available by the end of May. (Source: Bloomberg, 05/25/10) The April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon killed 11 workers. Oil has flowed into the Gulf of Mexico ever since. The oil slick has penetrated the marshes of Louisiana.