Drilling Resumes on BP Relief Well

A chief drilling official says BP crews have resumed drilling a relief well meant to allow them to permanently seal the blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico.

John Wright, who is in charge of the operation aboard the Development Driller III vessel, said in an e-mail Monday to The Associated Press that drilling has resumed.

Special Section: Disaster in the Gulf

BP and the government have said it would take about four days from the time crews started drilling again to intersect the blown-out well. Once the relief well intersects the blown-out well, crews will pump in mud and cement to permanently seal the well.

The flow of crude was first stopped with a cap in mid-July.

The April 20 rig explosion killed 11 workers and led to 206 million gallons of oil spewing from BP's undersea well.