Top kill procedure begins

BP has begun a critical maneuver to stop the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. BP engineers with 50,000 barrels of dense mud and a robotic submarines started the "top kill" maneuver around 1 p.m. CDT. Oil has been spewing into the Gulf of Mexico since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded April 20, killing 11 workers. The procedure involves pumping thousands of pounds of heavy fluids into a five-story stack of pipes in an effort to clog the well and stop the leak. (Source: New York Times, 05/26/10)