Why is BP trying to stop the Gulf of Mexico oil leak with golf
balls? The Macondo well has released more than 5 million gallons
of oil into the Gulf of Mexico and continues to spew at least
200,000 gallons per day. A mile-long straw inserted into the
well is now directing 40 percent of the flow into tankers, but
BP is still looking for a permanent fix. They may try clogging
the faulty blowout preventer with shredded tires, knotted rope,
and golf balls in a process known as a "junk shot." Wait, golf
balls? You heard me, golf balls. When an oil company taps a
well, they place a steel tower over the pipe that leads into the
reservoir under the ground or sea floor. This tower, known as a
blowout preventer, has a series of valves on its sides and top
that can be adjusted to slow or stop the flow of oil. When the
Deepwater Horizon rig sank on April 22, its blowout preventer
sprung several leaks. In theory, a junk shot would stuff the
tower with objects of different sizes, shapes, and textures, so
that oil couldn't