A 15-year-old oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has been partially tamed with the help of a containment device designed by a group of Louisiana engineers, but the drama is not quite over, with continuing lawsuits hanging over the handling of the leak.

The U.S. Coast Guard and Unified Command contracted with Couvillion Group of Belle Chasse, La., to design, build and install a containment system to stem the flow of oil and natural gas from the long-leaking well, about 11 miles offshore of Louisiana.