As of 2:25 CST, the oil flow into the Gulf of Mexico has been stopped!

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/07/15/bp-begins-critical-pressure-test-new-cap-oil/

Awesome!

That's good to hear !!!!!!!!!!!

Yea!!!!!

Maybe all the fish aren't dead yet???

All I can say:

It's about time! Why wasn't this done weeks ago?

My only worry is that this is a good fix. They lack experience with this and as pressure builds who knows.

They took my advice with the hydraulics and it worked. I was born one day but it wasn't yesterday. Now watch the gas prices.

The big worry for BP and all others is that the well could be blowing out through possible fissures in the surrounding earth.  This is a rarity with oil well blow-outs, but BP is being extremely cautious in not allowing the cap on the well to cause any over-pressure on those potential fissures.  That's a good thing.

All I can say:

It's about time! Why wasn't this done weeks months ago?

Fixed your post Nate 

Good news.  Now hoping it really is the truth and it indeed is fixed...completely

Time will tell. Lot of questions remaining.

Well, it seems that even if the cap is not a permanent

solution, most of the oil seepage can now be recovered

instead of being dispersed. Progress on the relief wells

is ahead of schedule and drilling has resumed.

8-)

The way I understood is tat with the cap they can capture 80,000 gal a day instead 25,000.  The key is the relief well to permanently stop the leak.

The damage is done and it will take decades to repair the marsh and economy.

We also need to drill closer to shore to avoid drilling in deep water. 

My guess is the "damage" is way overstated and the

entire region will be back to normal by next spring.

Oil evaporates and dissipates over a relatively short

period of time:

http://www.mms.gov/tarprojects/120/120BG.PDF

Was the delay caused by the fact that they weren't looking for a way simply to plug the leak, but a way to plug it and still make money off of it?

RW I hope you're right, and that things are better by next spring. I'd like to live on the Gulf Coast someday.

My guess is the "damage" is way overstated and the

entire region will be back to normal by next spring.

Oil evaporates and dissipates over a relatively short

period of time:

http://www.mms.gov/tarprojects/120/120BG.PDF

Oil from the Exxon Valdez is STILL on the shores of Alaska 21 years after that spill.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-10661883

http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/dec03/peters121803.html

Was the delay caused by the fact that they weren't looking for a way simply to plug the leak, but a way to plug it and still make money off of it?

Let's think about it logically a bit.  How long does it take to come up with the idea, design, build, test, deliver, and install an 18 foot tall, 150,000 pound device that is capable of containing greater than 8,000 PSI of pressure at an undersea depth of around 1 mile?

This isn't something that they can cobble together MacGyver style.

My guess is the "damage" is way overstated and the

entire region will be back to normal by next spring.

Oil evaporates and dissipates over a relatively short

period of time:

http://www.mms.gov/tarprojects/120/120BG.PDF

Oil from the Exxon Valdez is STILL on the shores of Alaska 21 years after that spill.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-10661883

http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/dec03/peters121803.html

But there was very little effects long term fromt he Ixtoc II (sp) oil leak that was quite similar in the Gulf of Mexico in 1979.

My guess is the "damage" is way overstated and the

entire region will be back to normal by next spring.

Oil evaporates and dissipates over a relatively short

period of time:

http://www.mms.gov/tarprojects/120/120BG.PDF

Tell that to the folks that earn their income from the gulf. I hope you're right, but how can pumping that much oil in such a (relatively) short period of time NOT have an impact ?

It's a documented fact that there are still lingering effects from the Exxon Valdez spill back in the 80's, one being the loss of the herring fishery there.

I'm not disputing the fact that the Gulf coast will suffer major damage, but the big difference between the Alaska tragedy and the Gulf is the temperature. The muchhigher temps in the Gulf will aid tremendously in the evaporation of the oil.

I'm not disputing the fact that the Gulf cost suffer major damage, but the big difference between the Alaska tragedy and the Gulf is the temperature. The much higher temps in the Gulf will aid tremendously in the evaporation of the oil.

good point, mike

I am pretty sure that the high temps in the gulf will aid in the evaporation. Since I am not a chemist I don't know how much faster. One of my concerns is about the oil that does evaporate. What impact does it have when it gets into the atmosphere, and what happens if and when it comes down in the rain?

I am pretty sure that the high temps in the gulf will aid in the evaporation. Since I am not a chemist I don't know how much faster. One of my concerns is about the oil that does evaporate. What impact does it have when it gets into the atmosphere, and what happens if and when it comes down in the rain?

Right on ! 

To say the damage is over rated is burying your head in the sand. The hardship caused to the local people is catastrophic to them, due to no fault of their own, many of these people just make it by in the best of times.

I'm not disputing the fact that the Gulf coast will suffer major damage, but the big difference between the Alaska tragedy and the Gulf is the temperature. The muchhigher temps in the Gulf will aid tremendously in the evaporation of the oil.

The stuff on the surface appears to be the tip of the iceberg.  There are large oil plumes deep in the ocean that may or may not surface. 

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-08/toxic-undersea-oil-plumes-lurk-in-gulf-of-mexico-update2-.html