Can Oil Skimmed From the Gulf Wind Up in Your Gas Tank?

BATON ROUGE, La. (July 16) -- With a new cap on BP's broken well in the Gulf of Mexico, the oil-spill crisis may be at a turning point, raising questions about oil that's already been spilled and the company's next steps. Here are some questions and answers:

Will oil start spilling again?
It's too early to know. A cap has been in place for about a day and has halted the flow of oil into the gulf. But BP senior vice president Kent Wells told reporters this morning that the company might resume funneling oil from the well to tanker ships on the gulf's surface -- a move that would require opening a valve that would cause oil to start spilling again. Mark Salt, a BP spokesman, told AOL News that another option is to leave the cap on the well.

What's an "integrity test"?
BP is testing the strength, or "integrity," of the broken well. The test could reveal whether the well is strong enough to contain the pressure of the oil and whether it's leaking elsewhere. The concern: the April 20 explosion, and later collapse, of the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform, damaged the well in more than one spot.

The company is measuring the pressure inside the well. A high pressure reading, up to 9,000 pounds per square inch, would be good news. High pressure would indicate that the well is holding and isn't leaking in other spots. A reading as low as 6,000 psi could indicate another leak. Wells said this morning that the pressure was at 6,700 psi and steadily rising.

"You would expect [the pressure] to build faster and then start to slow down with time, which is exactly what it's doing," Wells said. "So it's -- it's been very steady."

What has BP done with leaked oil that was captured in tankers?
The oil collected in tanker ships goes through the normal refining process, turned into gasoline and other products, and enters the market.

Does BP make money from that oil?
BP, which owns 65 percent of the well's output, announced last month that it is donating all proceeds from the well to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that is working to help animals affected by the spill. Anadarko Petroleum Corp., based in The Woodlands, Texas, owns 25 percent of the well's output, and Moex Offshore, a unit of the Japanese company Mitsui & Co., owns the remaining 10 percent.

In a statement, Anadarko also pledged "to donate any net proceeds we may be entitled to receive to charitable and civic organizations along the Gulf Coast. We are working to identify the recipients so that this revenue can be quickly donated if and when it is received," Anadarko said in a statement. A spokesman for Moex did not return a call for comment.

What about oil skimmed off the surface of the gulf?
That oil, a mix of petroleum and water, is not refined or sold, Salt said. Skimmed oil is disposed of by Newpark Environmental Services, an oil and gas services company based in The Woodlands, he said.

When will oil stop spilling for good?
BP and Thad Allen, the federal government's top spill official, have said the end will come with completion of a relief well. Two relief wells are being drilled. The plan is to intersect the broken well with one of the relief wells, then pump in concrete that would permanently seal the faulty well. Drilling of the relief wells has been temporarily halted while the integrity test is under way. Allen has said the relief well will be ready by mid-August.

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Gulf Oil Spill

A crew member looks out at the California Responder oil skimming vessel from the deck of the Pacific Responder in the Gulf of Mexico near the coast of Louisiana Monday, July 12, 2010. The vessels sailed from their home ports in California to the Gulf of Mexico to assist in the containment of oil leaking from the Deepwater Horizon oil well. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Gulf Oil Spill

Vessels assisting in the containment of oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil well leak are seen from the Pacific Responder oil skimming vessel in the Gulf of Mexico near the coast of Louisiana Monday, July 12, 2010. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Gulf Oil Spill

Crew members connect a hose to an intake for recovered oil while preparing for skimming operations on the Pacific Responder oil skimming vessel in the Gulf of Mexico near the coast of Louisiana Monday, July 12, 2010. The vessel sailed from its home port in the San Francisco Bay Area to the Gulf of Mexico to assist in the containment of oil leaking from the Deepwater Horizon oil well. It arrived near the leak site this morning and is awaiting orders from on-water coordinators. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Gulf Oil Spill

The New Jersey Responder oil skimming vessel is seen on the Gulf of Mexico near the coast of Louisiana Monday, July 12, 2010. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Gulf Oil Spill

Senior master responder Jeff Bramlett walks past rolled-up oil booms while preparing for oil skimming operations on the deck of the Pacific Responder oil skimming vessel in the Gulf of Mexico near the coast of Louisiana Monday, July 12, 2010. The vessel sailed from its home port in the San Francisco Bay Area to the Gulf of Mexico to assist in the containment of oil leaking from the Deepwater Horizon oil well. It arrived near the leak site this morning and is awaiting orders from on-water coordinators. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Gulf Oil Spill

Supervisor Wade Falany handles an oil suction hose while preparing for skimming operations on the deck of the Pacific Responder oil skimming vessel in the Gulf of Mexico near the coast of Louisiana Monday, July 12, 2010. The vessel sailed from its home port in the San Francisco Bay Area to the Gulf of Mexico to assist in the containment of oil leaking from the Deepwater Horizon oil well. It arrived near the leak site this morning and is awaiting orders from on-water coordinators. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Gulf Oil Spill

In this image taken from video provided by BP PLC, oil flows from the top of the transition spool at the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Monday, July 12, 2010. Deep-sea robots swarmed around BP's ruptured oil well Monday in a delicately choreographed effort to attach a tighter-fitting cap that could finally stop crude from gushing into the Gulf of Mexico nearly three months into the crisis. (AP Photo/BP PLC) NO SALES

Gulf Oil Spill

Deck hand Martin Mayorga carries netting while preparing for skimming operations on the deck of the Pacific Responder oil skimming vessel in the Gulf of Mexico near the coast of Louisiana Monday, July 12, 2010. The vessel sailed from its home port in the San Francisco Bay Area to the Gulf of Mexico to assist in the containment of oil leaking from the Deepwater Horizon oil well. It arrived near the leak site this morning and is awaiting orders from on-water coordinators. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Gulf Oil Spill

Supervisor Wade Falany handles a rope while preparing for oil skimming operations on the deck of the Pacific Responder oil skimming vessel in the Gulf of Mexico near the coast of Louisiana Monday, July 12, 2010. The vessel sailed from its home port in the San Francisco Bay Area to the Gulf of Mexico to assist in the containment of oil leaking from the Deepwater Horizon oil well. It arrived near the leak site this morning and is awaiting orders from on-water coordinators. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Gulf Oil Spill

In this image taken from video provided by BP PLC, the new containment cap, left, is lowered toward the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, right, as a remotely operated vehicle operates in between the two in the Gulf of Mexico, Monday, July 12, 2010. Deep-sea robots swarmed around BP's ruptured oil well Monday in a delicately choreographed effort to attach a tighter-fitting cap that could finally stop crude from gushing into the Gulf of Mexico nearly three months into the crisis. (AP Photo/BP PLC) NO SALES

Gulf Oil Spill