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"Oil giant BP is getting closer to permanently sealing the undersea gusher in the Gulf of Mexico, a company executive said Monday as a cavalcade of national leaders, led by Vice President Joe Biden, prepare to visit the region this week.
BP's optimistic outlook on the progress of drilling for two relief wells came as the company reported that total costs for clean up, claims, grants and other response measures had reached $2.65 billion.
Kent Wells, BP senior vice president, said that he feels ``very good'' about the progress of drilling for two relief wells, one of which has come within 20 feet, horizontally, of the ruptured well.
Wells said that vertical drilling on the first relief well, now at about 16,770 feet, will continue for another 900 feet before an attempt is made to puncture the existing well from the side.
He said that is on track with a 90-day timetable for drilling two relief wells -- the first begun on May 2 -- so that by early August, heavy mud, then concrete, can be pumped into the spewing well, closing it."
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/28/1705008/bp-relief-wells-to-contain-gulf.html