Cement in well has hardened

BP says the cement sealing the oil well in the Gulf of Mexico has hardened and engineers can now begin drilling the final 100 feet of a relief well meant to permanently seal the blowout. The company said it will be next weekend before the two wells meet. The company used pressure tests to confirm the cement from the static kill had hardened. (Source: AP via Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, 08/08/10) The Deepwater Horizon blew up April 20, killing 11 workers. Some 4.9 million barrels of oil spewed into the Gulf of Mexico until the well was capped July 15. It's the worst offshore spill in U.S. history.