BP, Transocean survey inconclusive about Gulf oil sheen

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BP is still trying to determine the source of a Gulf of Mexico oil sheen.

In the fourth subsea survey to identify the source of a Gulf of Mexico oil sheen, BP Plc (NYSE: BP) said its Macondo wells are secure, but was unable to determine where the layer is coming from.

The U.S. Coast Guard approved a plan for London-based BP and Transocean?owner of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig?to deploy remotely operated vehicles to figure out if the sheen was coming from oil trapped beneath wreckage on the sea floor. The two companies conducted the investigation with Coast Guard oversight.

BP said in a statement the wells are secure and no trapped oil was identified.

"However, a white, cloudy substance appeared to be emanating from several places on the overturned rig, and samples of the substance were collected," according to a company statement. "BP will review the results of the investigation with the Coast Guard."

All parties are awaiting analysis of the unidentified substance as well as samples taken at and below the surface, according to a statement from the Coast Guard.

This isn't the first talk of the mysterious layer of oil. BP said in October that a piece of containment equipment used during the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill response was the likely source of a sheen identified in September and no oil leakage had been observed from the Macondo well.

Bayan Raji covers health care.

Source: http://feeds.bizjournals.com/~r/bizj_houston/~3/fJPmk1EVuOM/bp-transocean-survey-inconclusive.html

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