Russian submarines may be the “magic” solution to capping the BP’s leaking oil rig.

So far, efforts to plug the leak have failed, though there are rumblings that the end is in sight. The spill, which started in April, has turned into the largest oil disasters in the gulf and is one of America’s worst environmental crises ever.

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The depth of the well head nearly 5,000 feet below the surface of the gulf makes subsea operations extremely difficult. But for the Russian subs, depth is not a problem.

The Mir submersibles, owned and operated by the PP Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, are currently on a mission to find gas hydrates on floor of the world’s deepest lake, Lake Baikal in Siberia.

Yevgenii Chernyaev, a captain for the Mir-2 sub, told BBC News:

“Our subs are unique. There are two of them and they can submerge and work simultaneously. Also, they are powerful enough to work with any additional equipment. There are only four vessels in the world that can go down to 6,000 meters [nearly 20,000 feet] – the Mirs, French Nautile and Japanese Shinkai. The Mirs are known to be the best, and we have a very experienced team of specialists,” he said.

The Russians already contacted BP informally to offer up the services of their Mirs. Nothing resulted from the discussion — yet. But Chernyaev is hopeful.

If BP comes around to accepting the Russian’s help, it will still take time before the subs can attempt capping the leak.

If current plans to cap the well fail and the subs are needed, it is crucial that the Russians get the full cooperation of BP (something even the American government and media is having difficulty obtaining) to develop a thorough plan.
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