Officials overseeing the response to the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill say they may be able to install a new, more effective cap on the leaking well by Monday.
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Doug Rader with the Environmental Defense Fund discusses the current situation in the Gulf:
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The U.S. official in charge of the oil spill response said oil company BP will begin work Saturday on replacing a loose-fitting "containment cap" on the sea floor with a new cap to be bolted in place.
Retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen said this should capture most of the tens of thousands of barrels of oil pouring out of the damaged well.
After the old cap is removed and until the new one is installed, oil will gush out of the well at full volume.
The worst spill in U.S. history has released as much as 60,000 barrels of oil per day into the Gulf of Mexico since April 20 when a drilling-rig explosion killed 11 workers.
Some information for this report was provided by Reuters.
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