The AP reports that government point person on the Gulf oil spill, Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen stated that the cement that was forced down from the top of the well last week had hardened enough for workers to begin drilling the final 100 feet of the relief well. Drilling in increments of 20 to 30 feet time, engineers periodically stopped to make sure they were still in line with their course to hit the broken well. It could take the duration of this week before the wells intersect. The goal is for the relief well to pump additional mud and cement into the broken well and permanently seal off the source of the oil spill.
