BP CEO says top kill going to plan

Houston - BP chief executive Tony Hayward said his top kill plan to plug BP's leaking well in the Gulf of Mexico was going to plan and the chances of success remained at 60% to 70%.

"The operation is proceeding as we planned it," Hayward said in a briefing on Wednesday.

"It will be another 24 hours before we know whether or not this has been successful," he added.

The top kill involves injecting heavy drilling fluids twice as dense as water into the well to stop the oil flow, allowing the leak to be plugged permanently with concrete.

- AFP