NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Work to permanently choke off the oil well that had been spewing into the Gulf of Mexico is at a standstill after ships around the site were ordered to evacuate ahead of the approaching Tropical Storm Bonnie.
There had been worries that the cap that has mostly contained the oil would have to be reopened and left gushing if a major storm came through. But engineers are confident enough in the strength of the cap that they've decided to leave it sealed while most of the ships on the surface were told to leave the area.
Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen and BP officials concede the storm, which is expected to enter the Gulf by the weekend, could delay by another 12 days the push to plug the broken well for good using mud and cement.
Forecasters say Tropical Storm Bonnie could reach the site of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill by Saturday. And key ships stationed over BP's crippled well have been ordered to evacuate ahead of the storm.
On Friday, the center of Bonnie is expected to pass near or over the Florida Keys and part of the southern Florida peninsula. Forecasters say the storm could slowly strengthen over the next 48 hours, but emergency officials aren't planning any mandatory evacuations for the Keys because they don't expect a major storm surge.
Bonnie steamed through the central Bahamas on Thursday night with sustained winds of 40 mph. Bahamian emergency officials say there are no immediate reports of damage, flooding or injuries on islands in southeastern and central Bahamas. More populated islands in the northeast, including Grand Bahama aren't yet in the clear.
For more news & multimedia on the Gulf oil crisis, visit our Oil Spill section.
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