US Unified Command Suspends BP Relief Well In Gulf Due To Storm

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES The U.S. government ordered the evacuation of vessels working on oil-spill recovery Thursday evening as Tropical Storm Bonnie approached the Gulf of Mexico, the federal response commander said. In a statement, Ret. Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said the rig drilling a well to intercept the damaged Macondo well--operated by BP PLC (BP)--would also be temporarily moved out of the storm's path. Allen said these actions may delay the effort to kill the Macondo well for several days, but reiterated that a cap on the mile-deep broken well will be left in place to prevent oil from again gushing into the Gulf. "I have also directed BP to take measures to ensure the vessels operating the remotely operated vehicles are the last to leave, and the first to return in order to maximize monitoring of the well," Allen said. -By David Winning, Dow Jones Newswires; +61-2-82724688; david.winning@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires July 22, 2010 21:30 ET (01:30 GMT)