Work on a relief well at the site of a gas rig blaze in the Gulf of Mexico has finally started two weeks after the fire.
Site operator Walter Oil & Gas began drilling the well to secure natural gas on the South Timbalier Block 220, 55 miles off Louisiana.
Investigations are still underway into the cause of the blaze, which happened after 44 people were evacuated following a blowout on the Hercules 265 rig a fortnight ago.
Drilling of the relief well is said to take 35 days to complete, but the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement noted that changing weather and the process of locating the target wellbore can delay the process.
The US Coast Guard maintains a 500m safety zone around the Hercules 265 site as firefighters and other marine vessels remain onsite with workers from Walter, Hercules, and other engineering contractors.