BP oil well to be sealed Sunday

British Petroleum’s (BP) ruptured oil well in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to be permanently sealed by Sunday.



Admiral Thad Allen, who is in charge of cleaning up the oil spill, says a relief well, which has taken more than four months to drill, should intersect the damaged well later today.



A mixture of mud and cement will then be pumped in, permanently sealing it.



On Wednesday, the US said it would require oil firms to plug 3,500 non-producing Gulf of Mexico oil wells.



No oil has spilled into the Gulf since a temporary cap was placed on the well in mid-July.



The relief well is being drilled 2.5 miles through dirt and rock beneath the sea floor so that the ruptured well can also be sealed from the bottom, to ensure it never causes a problem again.