WHILE THE Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico from the sunk Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig continues, US officials have given the go ahead to plans for a controlled burning of this oil. The Coast Guard will commence with a dramatic plan to set fire to this oil, before it reaches the ecologically sensitive marshlands of Louisiana.

The controlled burning plan of the Coast Guard includes corraling some of the thickest oil into one place using fire resistant containment booms, after which it will set on fire, according to Pentice Danner, Coast Guard petty officer. However, he could not clarify the extent of area which will be covered by flames or how far would said area be from the shore.

The Gulf of Mexico oil spill spreading fast, at an extent of 42,000 gallons of oil daily and has covered an area at least 100 miles long. The oil spill is stated to be 45 miles across at the widest point and can reach the shore in three days, as per weather estimates.

The estimates were corroborated by Robert Barham, Secretary, State Wildlife and Fisheries, who told a legislative committee on Wednesday, that the oil spill could touch land at Pass a Loutre on Friday, Breton Sound by Saturday and Chandeleur Islands by Sunday.

Till now, many plans have been made to get rid of this spilled oil, including one which required lowering of an underwater dome to capture the oil spill, apart from sending submarines to shut valves of the underdsea oil well, though this hasn't been sucessful too. Several industry options to clear the oil spill haven't worked.