BP replaces head representative for spill response

HOUSTON - BP said on Friday it has appointed Mike Utsler as its lead representative in the Unified Area Command (UAC) and the chief operating officer for the company's Gulf Coast Restoration Organization.

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Utsler replaces Doug Suttles, who has led BP's overall response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and will be returning to his role as chief operating officer for BP Exploration and Production in Houston, the company said in a news release.

Utsler has served as BP's commander in the Houma incident command post since April.

The BP Gulf Coast Restoration Organization was established in June to manage BP's response and restoration activities from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

BP said on Thursday it had finished plugging the blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico with cement. The company was preparing for a final kill of the well.