BP's Robotic Submarines To Plug Leaking Well

The most critical moment in the oil spill crisis in the Gulf of Mexico is at hand, as BP engineers armed with 50,000 barrels of dense mud and a fleet of robotic submarines are poised to attempt a "top kill" maneuver to plug the gushing well a mile below the surface.

Photo: BP's Robotic Submarines To Plug Leaking Well

It's far from a sure bet. BP chief executive Tony Hayward said Wednesday morning that the company hadn't yet decided whether to go forward with the risky plan, which rather than sealing the well could possibly make the leak worse, Washington Post informs.

President Obama is planning to visit the Gulf Coast on Friday to review oil response efforts.

If BP decides to proceed with the top kill procedure, it will pump 50,000 pounds of thick, viscous fluid twice the density of water into the site of the leak to stop the oil flow. If all goes according to plan, the well then can be sealed shut with cement, CNN reports.