. >> reporter: our cameras were rolling at the lsu oil well research lab.nfirms, no more oil going into the gulf. 3:25 eastern. >> that's great news. >> reporter: even the president was encouraged, though cautious with his words. >> i think it is a positive sign. we're still in the testing phase. i have more to say about it tomorrow. >> reporter: residents along the coast tonight are not holding back. >> i'm so relieved. thank god. i'm praying for those people. >> i'm very happy about the way that they were able to get the well closed. we've got a long way to go, though. >> we hope for the best. we prepare for the worst. we know there's backup plans in place. in terms of what this means, this will be a big step forward. make no mistake, there are millions of gallons of oil in the water. >> reporter: late today, engineers at that lsu lab showed us a mini version of the massive cap on the well thattor fa is working. you said the oil would shoot out like this. what did they do? >> they activated a device like this, a block comes forward and shuts off the flow

lsu is significant up the road, but on sunday, the new orleans saint kosc have been there keynote -- saints have been their team. what you just asked me, the unique bond of this community, that all of us have fallen in love with, was really what inspired us, because i did not want a project, we did not want a project that was going to be winning on the field or off of the field or leadership. this book was going to be more about, hey, this is pretty unique here, and shortly after katrina to the super bowl parade, this is our story, and we do think that we have got the best fans in the world. tavis: you mentioned earlier the distractions that exist. of course, any city has distractions. its own unique kinds of distractions. but in the evaluation processes, because every team has to go through this, how do you know, how do you figure out who you are drafting, trading for, bringing in the right kind of players that can handle the unique distractions of this particular environment? >> that is a great question. obviously, the combination of first finding the player that has the talent to

engineers here at this research lab at lsu are quick to point out that that cap, now stopping the oil and holding down the pressure, is still just a temporary solution. the real end game will come with the relief wells. and tonight, the closest relief well is just four feet from the site of that blown-out well, with just 150 feet to go down, before piercing the well and injecting it with mud and cement. this is what they call a mixing pit, where they actually mix together the mud that will be used in the kill. and take a look at how the it'xer they red togthey when we asked w he ingredients were, we wer surprised to find out you'd find them in the medicbine >> you start with the waterd you mix it w >> a chemical used to toothpaste, and then another chemical that's found in makeup an contrast x-rays. >> reporter: you mix them and you get the mud for the kill? >> reporter: the coast guard won't say whenwill right now, that relief well th is so close is on hold. they don't want to damage it as this test on the cap continues. in fact, the engineers told me that the mud is twice as dense a

. >> reporter: we were at the lsu oil well research lab when the news crossed. bp confirms, no more oil going into the gulf of mexico. 3:25 eastern. >> that's great news. >> reporter: from the gulf -- >> i hope it's permanently. we need that closure so we can finish cleaning up the oil and get our lives back. >> reporter: to the white house. >> i think it is a positive sign. we're still in the testing phase. i'll have more to say about it tomorrow. >> reporter: and what comes next are those crucial readings, measuring the pressure of the oil pushing up against that cap. engineers hoping for 8,000 to 9,000 psi, pounds per square inch. anything 6,000 psi or lower is trouble. does that mean oil is leaking elsewhere from the well? >> that means oil would be leaking elsewhere from the well and they would have to start siphoning it off again to minimize the amount that leaked. >> reporter: in fact, the coast guard signaling that siphoning the oil is still a real possibility, that they would return to that, reminding that the ultimate solution are the relief wells and

. >> reporter: and in this static kill demonstration, created by lsu engineers, you can see the mud sinking, the oil no longer surging up against it. at the same time, work continues on the relief wells, one of which could intersect the crippled well as early as next week. but all of that is contingent on the stacking cap holding. as big as a school bus, it may be leaking. apparently not seriously. that little bit of good news today offset by word that bp is selling off $7 billion in assets to help cover its liabilities in the gulf. at the same time, in hearings in new orleans today, the company also under fire by government panel for ignoring warnings about that critical blowout preventer that caused the disaster in the first place. ronald was a well site leader on the rig. >> suspend further drilling operations until the pod is operable. >> was that done at the deepwater horizon? >> well -- no, it wasn't. >> reporter: now, with those investigations, bp's financial woes and of course that urgent need to kill that well, there is now more trouble, potentially, on the horizon for bp. a possib

. >> reporter: in the static kill demonstration created by lsu engineers, you can see the mud sinkingonger surging up against it. at the same time, work continues on those relief wells. one of which could intersect the crippled well as early as next week. but all of that is contingent on the stacking cap holding. as big as a school bus, it may be leaking. apparently not seriously. that little bit of good news offset by word bp is selling off $7 billion in assets to help cover its liabilities in the gulf. at the same time in hearings in new orleans, the company also under fire by a government panel for ignoring warnings about that critical blowout preventer that caused the disaster in the first place. ronald sepulveda was a well site leader on the rig. >> suspend further drill operation to a pod is opener able. >> was that done at the deepwater horizon? >> well, no, it wasn't. >> reporter: beset by those investigations, financial woes and the urgent need to kill that well, new trouble possibly on the horizon for bp, a possible tropical storm headed right for the spill zone as early as

. >> reporter: we were at the lsu oil well research lab when the news crossed. >> i think it is a positive sign. we're still in the testing phase. i'll have more to say about it tomorrow. >> reporter: what comes next are those crucial readings, measuring the pressure of the oil pushing up against that cap, engineers hoping for 8,000 to 9,000 psi, pounds per square inch. anything 6,000 psi or lower is trouble. in fact, the coast guard signaling that siphoning the oil is still a real possibility, even if the cap continues to work. it looks like this one, three of these stacked on one another down on the sea. they remind us the ultimate solution remains the relief well. one of them very close at this point. the dirt, the mud, the concrete, already being made. look at this mud, put together with dirt and chemicals from makeup and toothpaste, believe it or not. they are ready to go. david muir, abc news, baton rouge, louisiana. >>> congress wants some answers about thousands of abandoned oil wells in the gulf. last week, the associated press reported that there are 2

the oil samples and the water samples, you may get more, or based on my judgment talking to people at lsu or the university of alabama or the university of mississippi, i think that it's going to be three years. and it's up to you, but here's a check for $30,000. in my judgment, trying to help individual claimants more likely than not they'll see the wisdom of taking the $30,000 as long as it's grounded in some degree of certainty. no one knows for sure. but i'm trying to help claimants, and helping claimants doesn't always mean come back later. >> and i appreciate what you're trying to do and how difficult it is. and i wish you the best for all involved. if it's ever tested, the ability to do this, this is the one. thank you. i yield back. >> thank you. >> i thank the gentleman and recognize the gentleman from california. >> thank you very much, mr. chairman, and thank you for being here, mr. feinberg. i've been very impressed with the answers so far, very thorough and comprehensive. i've even been able to understand some of them. so in any event, just a couple quick things. clearly your

the oil samples and the water samples, you may get more, or based on my judgment talking to people at lsu or the university of alabama or the univsity of mississippi, i think that it's going to be three years. and it's up to you, but here's a check for $3000. in my judgment, trying to help individual claimants more likely than not they'll see the wisdom of taking the $30,000 as long as it's grounded in some degree of certainty. no o knows for sure. but i'm trng to help claimants, and helping claimants doesn't always mean come back later. >> and i appreciate what you're trying to do and how difcult it is. and i wish you the best for all involved. if it's ever tested, the ability to do this, this is the one. thank you. i yield back. >> thank you. >> i thank the gentleman and recognize the gentleman from california. >> thank you very much, mr. chairman, and thank you for being here, mr. feinberg. i've been very impressed with the answers so far, very thorough and comprehensive. i've even been able to understand some of them. so in any event, just a couple quick things. clearly your job is to

bp's blocking lsu from doing any kind of research to establish -- >> you can help the commission if you would make your presentation in an organized manner during the public comment period as opposed to interrupting the invited admiral to give us his professional assessment. i apologize. >> no -- [ inaudible ] >> let me say i understand that concern. i mean, i think that's shared by all. it's -- this is a very difficult tradeoff. the question is, is the use of dispersants is to avoid significant shoreline impact. if you have a good day of skimming and burning, then you can reduce the volume of dispersants. so you'll see that on those days in which the weather allows for significant skimming and burning operations. there's very little dispersant applied. so to your -- directly to your answer, the desire is to use as little as possible and only when absolutely necessary to avoid shoreline impact. i know that the epa is conducting significant sampling and significant environmental testing. they're quite concerned about the long-term effects of dispersement use, and i would defer directly t

the oil samples and the water samples, you may get more, or based on my judgment talking to people at lsu or the university of alabama or the university of mississippi, i think that it's going to be three years. and it's up to you, but here's a check for $30,000. in my judgment, trying to help individual claimants more likely than not they'll see the wisdom of taking the $30,000 as long as it's grounded in some degree of certainty. no one knows for sure. but i'm trying to help claimants, and helping claimants doesn't always mean come back later. >> and i appreciate what you're trying to do and how difficult it is. and i wish you the best for all involved. if it's ever tested, the ability to do this, this is the one. thank you. i yield back. >> thank you. >> i thank the gentleman and recognize the gentleman from california. >> thank you very much, mr. chairman, and thank you for being here, mr. feinberg. i've been very impressed with the answers so far, very thorough and comprehensive. i've even been able to understand some of them. so in any event, just a couple quick things. clearly your

bp's blocking lsu from doing any kind of research to establish -- >> you can help the commission if you would make your presentation in an organized manner during the public comment period as opposed to interrupting the invited admiral to give us his professional assessment. i apologize. >> no -- [ inaudible ] >> let me say i understand that concern. i mean, i think that's shared by all. it's -- this is a very difficult tradeoff. the question is, is the use of dispersants is to avoid significant shoreline impact. if you have a good day of skimming and burning, then you can duce the volume of dispersants. so you'll see that on those days in which the weather allows for significant skimming and burning operations. there's very little dispersant applied. so to your -- directly to your answer, the desire is to use as little as possible and only when absolutely necessary to avoid shoreline impact. i know that the epa is conducting significant sampling andsignificant environmental testing. they're quite concerned about the long-term effects of dispersement use, and i would defer directly to e