BP spill nears a somber record as Gulf's biggest

By TOM BREEN and SETH BORENSTEIN Associated Press Writers

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - BP's massive oil spill will become the largest ever in the Gulf of Mexico by Thursday based on the highest of the federal government's estimates, an ominous record that underscores the oil giant's dire need to halt the gusher.

The oil that's spewed for two and a half months from a blown-out well a mile under the sea is expected to surpass the 140 million gallon mark, eclipsing the record-setting Ixtoc I spill off Mexico's coast from 1979 to 1980. Even by the lower end of the government's estimates, at least 71.2 million gallons are in the Gulf.

Read the rest of the story here: KOMO News

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Unified Command for the BP Oil Spill | Flow Rate Group Provides Preliminary Best Estimate Of Oil Flowing from BP Oil Well

Unified Command for the BP Oil Spill | Flow Rate Group Provides Preliminary Best Estimate Of Oil Flowing from BP Oil Well

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PBS Live Gulf Oil Tracker

This tracker widget was found on Barack Obama's Oil Spill's Blog

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Day 57 - Scientists: Oil leaking up to 2.52M gallons daily

By RAY HENRY (AP), NEW ORLEANS —

Scientists provided a new estimate for the amount of oil gushing from the ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday that indicates it could be leaking up to 2.52 million gallons of crude a day. A government panel of scientists said that the ruptured well is leaking between 1.47 million and 2.52 million gallons of oil daily. The figures move the government's worst-case estimates more in line with what an independent team had previously thought was the maximum size of the spill.

Read the rest here- The Associated Press: Scientists: Oil leaking up to 2.52M gallons daily

These latest estimates indicate that the ruptured well is leaking between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels per day!!!

According to Wikipedia-

In their permit to drill the well, BP estimated the worst case flow at 162,000 barrels per day. BP initially estimated that the wellhead was leaking only 1,000 barrels a day. On April 28, 2010, based on satellite pictures, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated that the leak was likely 5,000 barrels a day. Geologist and oil industry consultant John Amos said a more realistic figure was 20,000 barrels a day and oceanographer Ian MacDonald and other sources using satellite imagery put the number as high as 25,000 barrels a day.

The White House was told within 24 hours of the explosion that 8,000 barrels a day could escape.

Barrel (volume) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Deepwater Horizon oil spill - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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White House told within 24 hours that 8,000 barrels a day could escape

Information from the Washington Examiner-

Documents obtained by the Center for Public Integrity make clear that the White House was told by the Coast Guard within 24 hours of the April 20 explosion on BP's Deepwater Horizon platform that the equivalent of 8,000 barrels a day could escape into the ocean. Within three days, Obama and his senior aides were warned that the spill could exceed the in environmental damage caused by the Exxon Valdez wreck in 1989.

Despite these warnings, over the next two months Obama attended Democratic fundraisers, played golf, hosted basketball and football teams at the White House and delivered commencement speeches. Two weeks passed before he could be bothered to go to Louisiana.

Read more at the Washington Examiner: Obama brings Nixonian twist to oil spill

Washington Examiner link found on Michael Savage Home Page

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