Oil major BP is exploring a new way to siphon off oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico should current plans to plug the leak this week fail.
The London-based company said on Tuesday it had plans to remove a damaged part from the ruptured well and put in place a tube which would capture most of the oil and gas flowing into the sea, calling it the LMRP cap containment option.
BP already has one tube in place which is siphoning off an average 40% of the 5,000 barrels of oil the company estimates is leaking out of the well each day.
The company said it would be ready to try to fit the new tube by the end of the month, but in the meantime it would attempt in the next few days to plug the leak using heavy fluids -- the so-called "top kill" option that BP has given a 60 to 70% chance of success.
Oil has been gushing into the Gulf of Mexico from the ruptured well since April 20 when an explosion sank the Deepwater Horizon rig.
BP said in a separate statement on Tuesday its internal investigation team had begun sharing its review of the causes of the oil spill with the US government.
The company said the investigation was focused on the failure of the control mechanisms which were in place.
