FAIRHOPE, Ala. — The capping stack placed atop BP’s failed Macondo well head continues to hold, according to company Senior Vice President Kent Wells. Speaking to reporters late Monday afternoon, Wells said the pressure building is “following the trend we might expect.”

At the time of the technical briefing, he noted the pressure had reached 6,811 pounds per square inch and it continued to rise, indicating there are no major fractures in the well bore. Some scientists, however, believe the Gulf floor has been compromised.

Wells acknowledged a few bubbles were seen rising, and some were captured for lab analysis. He said preliminary testing indicated the bubbles are only 15 percent methane gas.

Seismic testing and sonar shows no anomalies, Wells said. A decision regarding whether to continue testing is being made every 24 hours.

“The longer the test goes on, we’ll gain more confidence of well integrity,” he said.

Wells took a moment to introduce a secondary shutdown method BP is considering. Called static kill, the procedure would require pumping heavy drilling mud in the well to push oil back into the reservoir where it originated.

He said static kill has a better chance of success than earlier attempts to seal the well from above because the pressure below is less than first thought.

“We want to move all the options forward as robustly and quickly as we can,” Wells added. He pointed out that a decision on trying the static kill method would ultimately be made by National Incident Commander Adm. Thad Allen, and said, “We’re going to work with the team and work with the scientists. At the end of the day, relief wells are still the ultimate solution.”

Wells said the first of two relief wells being drilled is within four feet of its target, the damaged well, and is “perfectly aligned.”

For the full story, pick up a copy of the July 21 Fairhope Courier.