The fleet began its mission over the weekend to contain a growing sheen on the water near the site of the Macondo wellhead, which was declared "officially dead" on September 19, 2010.

BP has yet to comment on inquries regarding the VoO boom-laying mission, but is expected to issue a statement later this week.

Earlier this year, B.K. Lim, a geohazards specialist and conferee at the Gulf Oil Spill Remediation Conference in Tallahassee last August, authored a letter to U.S. Reps. Fred Upton, chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and John Shimkus, chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment and Economy, suggesting that the former site of the Deepwater Horizon may not be permanently plugged:

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