By Steve Gorman
May 13, 2010 12:11 PM EDT
Energy giant BP was preparing on Thursday to once again try and staunch the unchecked flow of oil from a ruptured well that threatens an environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.
BP Plc, operator of the well off Louisiana's coast, said it hoped to have a small containment dome in place by late Thursday, its latest attempt to plug the roughly 5,000 barrels (210,000 gallons/795,000 liters) a day of gushing crude.
It is also fighting to salvage its soiled reputation. London-based BP, Transocean Ltd and Halliburton Co. are all in the hot seat over their responsibility in an April 20 rig explosion that killed 11 workers and triggered what could be the most devastating U.S. oil spill ever.
Scientists say coastal wetlands threatened by the spill, which provide critical habitat for bird life and serve as rich nurseries for the region's valuable shrimp and oyster stocks, are already dwindling from erosion and development.
Oil pollution would accelerate the process by killing the vegetation that holds the marshes together.
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"If we allow that oil to come in and touch our marshlands, that'll shut us down for about five to six years," said Rodney Dufrene, 23, a new shrimp boat owner from the hamlet of Cut Off, north of Port Fourchon.
Investors have knocked about $30 billion off BP's share value and the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday BP had decided to finish work on Deepwater Horizon despite tests suggesting combustible gas had seeped into the well.
And a House of Representatives panel said it had uncovered significant problems with a safety control mechanism on BP's well that could have contributed to the accident.
Representative Bart Stupak, a Democrat, said his panel's investigation showed the Deepwater Horizon rig's underwater blowout preventer leaked and was not powerful enough to cut off the oil flow before the rig blew up.
The New York Times reported on Thursday that BP had drafted plans to work on or around the blowout preventer to seal the well. One option would be a "junk shot" that would clog the blowout preventer with materials including shredded tires and golf balls, the Times reported.
Democratic Representative Henry Waxman, quoting from a BP document describing its view of events, said the well failed a pressure test in the hours before the blast.
Panel investigators spoke with officials of the company that manufactured the blowout preventer and reviewed company documents, finding the device on the rig was modified, making it hard to operate after the accident.
On Thursday, a massive operation was gearing up. Federal authorities said more than 510 vessels were responding to assist in containment and cleanup efforts in addition to dozens of aircraft and remotely operated vehicles.
Fourteen staging areas have been set up and approximately 1.5 million feet of boom -- plastic barriers strung along the coast -- have been deployed to contain the spill and another 1.5 million feet remain available.
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