BP is reported to be aiming to plug its leaking Gulf of Mexico well by July 27, weeks sooner than forecast.
The Wall Street Journal's online edition quoted BP officials as saying that they aimed to complete a relief well to halt the worst oil spill in US history by as early as July 27 in an effort to cap the company's growing financial liabilities.
The British oil giant was also preparing a series of back-up plans in case its current operations fail, including connecting the leaking well to existing pipelines in two adjacent gas and oil fields, the Journal reported.
The July 27 target date is the day the company is due to report second-quarter earnings and will speak to investors, the Journal said.
BP shares have fallen by half since its well blew out in April, spewing crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico and soiling the shores of every US Gulf Coast state. But they have recovered slightly in recent days.
The relief well is seen as the best hope for finally stopping the 80-day-old disaster.
