Oil Stops Flowing Into Gulf for First Time in 3 Months

A happy milestone for the Gulf of Mexico: BP says oil has stopped gushing into the water for the first time since its rig exploded 3 months ago. "It's too early to celebrate," said exec Doug Suttles, noting that the company has hours of testing to conduct before determining for sure that its new cap will hold. The announcement this afternoon came after company officials said all valves had been shut on the cap. BP vice president Kent Wells said at a news briefing that oil stopped flowing into the water at 2:25 pm.

It was a long-awaited milestone in one of the nation's worst environmental disasters. While not a permanent solution to plug the busted well, the success in capturing the oil spewing out was welcome news. For the permanent solution, BP is drilling two relief wells so it can pump in mud and cement in hopes of plugging it for good. (More Gulf oil spill stories.)