R.I.P. Gulf Oil Well

It looks like the ruptured oil well in the Gulf of Mexico is officially dead. The procedure to seal the well—or in oil industry terms, to “kill” it—has been pronounced a success, providing an unceremonious end to the spilling of millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf.

But they’re not dancing on the decks of the shrimp boats just yet. The environmental disaster inflicted by the massive spill will haunt the fragile Gulf ecosystem for years to come. —JCL

The BBC:

The ruptured well that has spewed millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico has finally been sealed, US officials say.

A pressure test showed a cement plug put in place by BP to permanently “kill” the well was holding.

President Obama hailed the news, vowing to continue to help those affected.

The worst offshore oil spill in US history began after the Deepwater Horizon rig blew up on 20 April, killing 11 workers and later sinking.

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NASA

A view of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico from the International Space Station.