One hundred six days after an oil rig leased by BP exploded, President Obama told a labor group that the well has been effectively sealed.

“It was very welcome news when we learned overnight that efforts to stop the well, through what is called a ‘static kill,’ appear to be working,” said President Obama.

At the White House, the government’s oil response chief, retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, said BP’s latest effort to plug the well could lead to a permanent seal.

“And basically we have reached a static condition in the well that allows us to have high confidence that there will be no oil leaking into the environment,” said  Thad Allen. “And we have significantly improved our chances to kill the well with the relief wells when that does occur.”

Allen said the job will be finished when the relief wells are operational, and the ruptured well is sealed with mud and cement.

At the same briefing, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration head Jane Lubchenco said a new government study shows that about three-fourths of the spilled oil in the Gulf of Mexico is no longer on the surface.

“The vast majority of the oil has either evaporated or been burned, skimmed and recovered from the wellhead or dispersed,” said Jane Lubchenco. “And much of the dispersed oil is in the process of relatively rapid degradation.”

Lubchenco said ocean currents are not likely to carry the remaining oil to other parts of the ocean.  But she said the spill’s damage to shorelines and wildlife is likely to last for decades.  

Scientists estimate that almost five million barrels of oil leaked into the Gulf from the damaged well.

President Obama and other officials emphasized that they have much work to do in cleaning up the disaster and assessing the damage.  He pledged to continue working to help the people in the Gulf region who depend on the water for their livelihoods.

Nonetheless, news of the breakthrough seemed to be a relief to Mr. Obama – a welcomed gift for his 49th birthday.

Late Thursday, authorities confirmed reports in the Mexican media that Inacio “Nacho” Coronel, a senior member of the cartel, was killed in a military raid near the western city of Guadalajara.  

The U.S. State Department previously described Coronel as responsible for moving multi-ton quantities of cocaine via fishing vessels from Colombia to Mexico and to the southwestern U.S. states of Arizona and Texas.

In late 2003, a federal grand jury in Texas indicted Coronel, charging him with conspiracy to import a controlled substance and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance.  The State Department had offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction.

Authorities say Coronel had close ties to the reputed head of the Sinaloa cartel, Joaquin “Shorty” Guzman, who has been on the run since escaping from a Mexican prison in 2001.

Separately, Mexican news media report four journalists were abducted earlier this week by gunmen after covering a prison scandal in the northern state of Durango.  The journalists included two photographers and two reporters.      

Authorities say the kidnappers were demanding that the journalists’ news organizations air videos in which informants alleged ties between the Zetas drug gang and corrupt officials.  

President Calderon has deployed thousands of soldiers nationwide to fight drug cartels since taking office in 2006.  Almost 25,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence since he began cracking down on the cartels.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

BP called off its evacuation of the Gulf Saturday when the approaching storm lost strength.  Weather forecasters say Bonnie has now been downgraded to a disorganized area of low pressure.  

Many ships and rigs working on relief wells intended to stop the leak for good are expected back in place on Sunday.

The head of the U.S. government’s response to the spill, retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, says one procedure aimed at plugging the well could begin by the end of the coming week.  The procedure, known as a “static kill,” involves forcing heavy drilling mud into the top of the well cap that now prevents oil from spilling into the water.

Authorities say the relief wells could also provide the ultimate solution to permanently stopping the oil flow.

The well cap that has stopped the oil leak remained in place Saturday, and officials expressed confidence that it would stay put during the rough weather.

BP installed the tight-fitting cap on the broken well several days ago, choking off the flow of oil for the first time since an April 20 rig explosion killed 11 workers and sent crude oil flowing into the Gulf.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

BP called off its evacuation of the Gulf Saturday when the approaching storm lost strength.  Weather forecasters say Bonnie has now been downgraded to a disorganized area of low pressure.  

Many ships and rigs working on relief wells intended to stop the leak for good are expected back in place on Sunday.

The head of the U.S. government’s response to the spill, retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, says one procedure aimed at plugging the well could begin by the end of the coming week.  The procedure, known as a “static kill,” involves forcing heavy drilling mud into the top of the well cap that now prevents oil from spilling into the water.

Authorities say the relief wells could also provide the ultimate solution to permanently stopping the oil flow.

The well cap that has stopped the oil leak remained in place Saturday, and officials expressed confidence that it would stay put during the rough weather.

BP installed the tight-fitting cap on the broken well several days ago, choking off the flow of oil for the first time since an April 20 rig explosion killed 11 workers and sent crude oil flowing into the Gulf.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

BP called off its evacuation of the Gulf Saturday when the approaching storm lost strength.  Weather forecasters say Bonnie has now been downgraded to a disorganized area of low pressure.  

Many ships and rigs working on relief wells intended to stop the leak for good are expected back in place on Sunday.

The head of the U.S. government’s response to the spill, retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, says one procedure aimed at plugging the well could begin by the end of the coming week.  The procedure, known as a “static kill,” involves forcing heavy drilling mud into the top of the well cap that now prevents oil from spilling into the water.

Authorities say the relief wells could also provide the ultimate solution to permanently stopping the oil flow.

The well cap that has stopped the oil leak remained in place Saturday, and officials expressed confidence that it would stay put during the rough weather.

BP installed the tight-fitting cap on the broken well several days ago, choking off the flow of oil for the first time since an April 20 rig explosion killed 11 workers and sent crude oil flowing into the Gulf.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.