INDReporter

Allen: BP hopes to capture 840,000 gallons a day

by Leslie Turk

U.S. Coast Guard Adm. Thad W. Allen said at a White House news briefing today that BP plans to bring in a second ship to increase the oil it is capturing from the Deepwater Horizon spill. U.S. Coast Guard Adm. Thad W. Allen said at a White House news briefing today that BP plans to bring in a second ship to increase the oil it is capturing from the Deepwater Horizon spill to about 840,000 gallons, or 20,000 barrels, a day. The funnel-like cap BP installed June 3 captured about 462,000 gallons, or 11,000 barrels, yesterday and has increased production today.

The lower marine riser package containment cap continues to collect oil and gas flowing from the well and transport them to the Discoverer Enterprise drillship, BP reports today. On June 5, a total of 10,500 barrels of oil was collected, and 22 million standard cubic feet of natural gas was flared. From June 3 through June 5, the volume of oil collected was 16,600 barrels, with 32.7 million standard cubic feet of natural gas flared.

BP expects to see an improvement in oil collection over the next several days but notes that it will be a few days before an assessment can be made as to the success of the ongoing containment effort. "This is a complex operation, involving risks and uncertainties, being carried out 5,000 feet under water," the company stated in a press release today. "The LMRP containment cap never before has been deployed at these depths and conditions, and its efficiency and ability to contain the oil and gas cannot be assured."

The volume of oil captured and gas flared is being updated daily on BP's Web site.