junk shot

British  

noun

1. a procedure used by oil companies to stem the flow of oil from a leaking well by pumping debris (such as shredded tyres, golf balls, etc.) into the well at high pressure

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Example Sentences

It’s known as a junk shot, safety shot or clean-up shot.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 1, 2021

My favorite metaphor, among the myriad gushing forth from the Great Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico, is the "junk shot."

From Time • Jul. 22, 2010

The junk shot serves as a “bridge,” he said, for the injections of mud to strengthen its ability to counteract the leaking oil.

From New York Times • May 28, 2010

That could be followed by another inventively named maneuver, a "junk shot," that would clog the opening with materials that include golf balls and pieces of tire and rope.

From Washington Post • May 25, 2010

BP may next try to plug the damaged blowout preventer on the well by pumping debris into it at high pressure, a method called a "junk shot," or by putting a new preventer on top.

From Reuters • May 10, 2010