Macondo relief rig on standby

EPA / US Coast Guard

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By Noah Brenner and Anthea Pitt

 23 April 2010 11:29 GMT

BP has a semi-submersible rig on standby should it need to drill a relief well at the Macondo blowout in the US Gulf of Mexico, but the rig is not being brought to the location yet.

BP has the Transocean Development Driller III available.

According to the US Minerals Management Service, Development Driller III was working in Green Canyon Block 743 on BP's Atlantis field development.

"BP made those resources available but they haven't given the OK to go forward and use them," Coast Guard spokeswoman Ashley Butler said.

"They are not on scene and they are not en route."

Butler confirmed this afternoon that the well was not flowing but said the Coast Guard had not confirmed that intervention teams had closed the subsea blowout protector and could not offer…

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