BP Well Stays Capped for Another Day, Slick Shrinks in Size

July 19, 2010— -- The stacking cap holding back oil from BP's broken well has sprung small leaks, but the government decided to allow the integrity test to continue for another 24 hours, keeping the gusher contained.

The torrent of oil has now been shut down for a fourth straight day, but many are concerned about the steady flow of bubbles signaling several leaks in the giant, 150,000-pound device cap.

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"What we're looking for is methane gas, which is a precursor of oil rising from the water," National Incident Cmdr. Adm. Thad Allen said today.

Concerned government scientists continue to monitor the well, and deep sea robots are now taking samples and scanning the ocean floor for seismic activity. They're even monitoring the temperature around the well. It's currently a frigid 40 degrees Fahrenheit, even after being warmed by leaking oil, which gushes up at 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

One of the leaks that has been observed seems to be a natural seepage, located about two miles away from the well on the sea bed.

"The Gulf is loaded with seeps of oil and gas, and that's one of the challenges that everyone is facing here," said Chris D'Elia,Professor and Dean of the School of Coast and Environment at Louisiana State University. "What is natural and what is not?"

Other tiny leaks are found on the new stacking cap itself, but they're still far too minor to warrant unsealing the cap and unleashing the geyser of oil once again.

Still, the government made clear over the weekend that leaks are a major concern.

When BP downplayed the threat of leaks, Adm. Allen penned a blistering letter demanding more and faster information, including whether BP intends to keep the well shut.