The effect was to plug the hole with the same material taken from it.

For one thing, how would we plug the hole afterward?

There was no obvious way to plug the hole, so maybe he couldn't do much here anyway.

The immediate challenge is finding the money to plug the hole.

His only real talent was plugging holes in the ground.

Plugging the hole is beyond his power, or, apparently, anyone else's.

Some were plugging the hole they'd busted through the wall.

At best, this method would capture the oil, but it wouldn't plug the hole.

They plugged the hole and did not drill any more at that location.

Just plug the hole for now, and let's get on with it.