US Oil Spill - BP's Louisiana Plan

Oil firm BP is continuing to try to mitigate the damage caused by the oil spill from the Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico some six weeks ago.

In its latest update – details of which emerged on 3 June 2010 - the group said it would invest millions of dollars into the construction of a defensive wall along the Louisiana coastline to ensure that delicate wetland areas survive the oncoming oil, which is scheduled to hit the Florida coast in coming hours.

To date, BP has spent $990 million trying to clean up the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Its latest move will cost it approximately $360 million more, and it will involve the creation of six sand barriers, which will link up to form a 50 mile long wall.

BP remains involved in trying to cut off the underwater source of the oil. In recent days, it has started an operation to cap the well and – while this was delayed by technical difficulties – reports indicate that this is now progressing well.

Oil Spill: Louisiana

According to Bobby Jindal – the Governor of Louisiana – BP’s decision to support the protection of Louisiana from the oil spill with a dedicated wall was made for it by the US government. In comments made to media representatives, Mr Jindal was critical of the timespan of the oil slick clean-up. “Every day they [BP and the US government] wait, every day they make us wait, we're losing our battle to protect our coast”, he said.

Referring to the latest element of its oil clean-up plan, BP highlighted its commitment to “implementing the most effective measures to protect the coastline of Louisiana.”

BP Oil Wells

According to the latest reports, the oil spill is only a few kilometres away from Florida. It began on 20 April after the explosion of Deepwater Horizon: an offshore oil rig. Among other efforts, BP is drilling a pair of new wells to relieve the original well, however these are thought to be weeks away from being finished.

To put the scale of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill into perspective, it is now the largest such event in US history, with the equivalent of over 800,000 barrels of oil potentially spilt into the sea. Prior to 20 April 2010, the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill was the most substantial, with 260,000 barrels of oil spilt.

The most expansive remains the spill that occurred off Kuwait at the time of Operation Desert Storm, which saw over 5 million barrels spilt.

See also:

US Oil Spill Effects Disastrous for Marine Life

BP Attempts US Oil Spill Clean-Up