Facebook
Twitter
CommentsPerry toured the command center BP set up in its Houston headquarters. Perry said he and other state officials are holding daily conference calls with the White House and other Gulf Coast governors to monitor the spill, its progress and response.
"It's not making much headway, fortunately," Perry said, noting weather and currents were keeping the slick far from Texas.
The Horizon drilling platform, leased by BP from Transocean, blew up on April 20. Since then, millions of gallons of crude oil have been pouring into Gulf of Mexico waters. So far, numerous attempts to plug the leak have been unsuccessful.
But Perry said it appears chemical dispersants being applied at the leak point are working. He said BP engineers showed him surface maps of the slick that show it has shrunk since federal regulators authorized the use of dispersants under the water.
BP spokesman Jon Pack confirmed the dispersants appear to be working based on observations made during overflights.
"The size of the area that you observe is reducing," Pack said.
Perry said he was encouraged by three options BP appears to have to stop the leak, but told Texans to "pray for a quick end to this event."
"The impact of this tragedy is going to be felt on the coast for some time," Perry said.
BP hopes to start using a mile-long tube to suck oil from the well by Saturday night after a setback. The insertion tube and dispersants are the latest of several efforts to fight the massive spill.
Loading...
Comments
Readers are solely responsible for the content of the comments they post here. Comments are subject to the site's terms and conditions of use and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or approval of the Houston Chronicle. Readers whose comments violate the terms of use may have their comments removed or all of their content blocked from viewing by other users without notification.