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Commercial shrimpers are heading out as the drilling of a relief well meant to plug BP's runaway well permanently nears completion. Once the relief well is complete, a so-called bottom kill procedure can begin, in which mud and cement would plug the well from below the seafloor. Engineer John Wright has never missed his target over the years, successfully drilling 40 relief wells that were used to plug leaks around the world. People along the Gulf Coast and others are hoping he can make it 41-for-41. "Anyone who has ever worked extremely hard on a long project wants to see it successfully finished, as long as it serves its intended purpose," Wright, 56, who is leading the team drilling the primary relief well, said in a lengthy e-mail exchange with The Associated Press. BP began work on its primary relief well in early May. But about two weeks ago, around the time the company had done a successful static kill pumping mud and cement into the top of the well, executives and the government began signaling that the bottom kill procedure might not be needed.
But retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the government's point man on the spill, said the relief well would be finished so the well could be killed. The bottom kill won't be started until at least next weekend. Despite the waters reopening, many fishermen distrust state wildlife officials and may be reluctant to head out right away, said Patrick Hue, 49, a shrimper out of Buras. "Nobody wants to rush into this and then someone gets sick on the seafood and the first thing you know, no one wants to buy our seafood," he said. Seafood dealer Pearce, however, said many shrimpers will be unable to resist. "Opening day is like a religion to these people," he said. "It's a way of life down here."
[Associated
Press;
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