LONDON (Reuters) - BP said on Wednesday its "static kill" operation to plug its blown out Gulf of Mexico well is progressing well.
"The MC252 well appears to have reached a static condition -- a significant milestone," the company said in a statement.
The company has stopped pumping drilling fluids into the well and is monitoring pressure inside, before deciding whether to pump more fluids down the well.
BP <:BP.LO:>s shares were down 0.6 percent, in line with the STOXX Europe 600 Oil and Gas index at 4:19 a.m. ET.
"This would suggest that the static kill operation is looking successful," Peter Hitchens, oil analyst at Panmure Gordon said.
(Reporting by Tom Bergin; editing by Simon Jessop)
