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BP looks at new 'static kill' option

VENICE, La., July 20 (UPI) -- Scientists are reviewing a new option for permanently sealing the oil well in the Gulf of Mexico, saying the option's simplicity is attractive.

BP officials said the "static kill" option would pump mud into the well to force oil back into the reservoir, CNN reported Tuesday. They said the option could succeed where similar attempts have failed because pressure in the well is lower than expected.

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Developing the option is "very much in its infancy," BP Senior Vice President Kent Wells said Monday, adding that a decision could be made soon. "At the end of the day, relief wells are still the ultimate solution."

Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the federal government's lead on the spill, said Monday the well's casing didn't have significant problems, but tests on the well would be conducted for another 24 hours as federal and company officials try to explain "anomalous" pressure readings and possible leaks.

Allen said there were possible leaks of methane gas from around the well and from the inoperative blowout preventer, as well as separate -- possibly unrelated -- seepage from the ocean floor about 2 miles away.

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Meanwhile, Kenneth Feinberg, the independent administrator of the Gulf Claims Facility for the $20 billion BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill compensation fund, said he doesn't know yet how BP will fund the escrow account, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune reported.

While acknowledging may gulf-related businesses operate on a cash basis, Feinberg said he must have documentation about lost earnings.

"You've got to prove your claim," Feinberg said. "I can be very lenient as to the proof. There's nothing illegal about a cash business, but I've got to have proof. And, you know, fisherman, you're getting a (IRS form) 1099. The law requires it."

Some people will have a hard choice deciding whether to seek compensation immediately or wait until they have a better idea about how long their operations would be affected by the spill, Feinberg said. If people seek immediate compensation, they will have to sign documents agreeing not to seek additional compensation once they accept his payment offer.

"If you sign this release, you're releasing your right to come back," Feinberg said. "But if you don't think that the period (three years) that I'm covering in this check is worthwhile, don't take it. You haven't lost any rights."

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