Coast Guard Says Flow Rate Will Be Determined, Even With Cap Shut

By Eileen Fleming

New Orleans, La. – The containment cap has been holding back oil from the Gulf since Thursday. BP says it wants to keep it shut until a relief well kills the ruptured lines from under the sea floor sometime next month. The cap has equipment to determine the flow rate. Some officials say the information is critical to calculate BP's financial liability. But retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen says he's confident the flow rate will be determined.

"I think we'll know enough about this well from the pressure readings and everything else that by the time we're done we're going to have a good basis to do that."

Allen says the cap will be reopened to let oil escape and reduce pressure if readings indicate the well is leaking under the seabed.
For NPR News, I'm Eileen Fleming in New Orleans.