Tropical Storm Alex neared hurricane strength today as high winds and waves look set to hamper BP's efforts to contain more of the oil gushing from the largest spill in US history.
The National Hurricane Center said Alex would build into the first hurricane of the Atlantic season as it moved away from the Yucatan Peninsula over southern Gulf waters.
Offshore oil cleanup efforts off the coast of Louisiana were halted today because of severe weather, the US Coast Guard said. Coast Guard Petty Officer Kelly Parker said controlled burns of oil on the ocean, flights spraying dispersant chemicals and booming operations were all stopped. BP's oil-capture and relief well drilling continued.
Alex was expected to curl northwest away from major oil-extraction facilities. If so, existing oil capture systems at the BP oil spill could continue, as would drilling of a pair of relief wells intended to plug the leak by August.
But waves as high as 12 feet (4 metres) would delay plans to hook up a third system to capture much more oil, BP said. Officials in Florida say the high surf will also likely hamper clean-up efforts.
Shares in British-based energy giant BP had fallen in London today after sources said the New York Federal Reserve was examining potential systemic risks posed by the company and it earlier had to deny Russian government claims it was planning to sack its chief executive.
Reuters