NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Government and industry leaders are exploring
a new way to capture oil gushing from the blown-out well at the
bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.
Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said Tuesday they're looking into
whether pipelines could be extended from the leaking well to
several production platforms elsewhere in the Gulf where the flow
could be captured or sent down to a different reservoir.
The idea emerged during a meeting in Washington last week and is
still in the early stages. If it works, the option would allow oil
to be contained even if the surface ships now siphoning it from the
leaking well need to flee a hurricane.
Scientists estimate anywhere from 67 million to 127 million
gallons of oil has spewed into the Gulf since the offshore rig
Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20.

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