BP pins hope on new measure to contain oil leak

BP will launch a new oil-containment system in mid-June to capture more oil gushing from its leaking Gulf of Mexico well.

The system to capture oil via a manifold, which was previously developed for the failed "top kill" attempt to shut the well, is in addition to the lower marine riser package (LMRP) containment cap and could allow BP to capture almost all the leaking oil.

BP said that since the LMRP cap was installed June 3, it had captured 16,600 barrels of oil up to June 5, including 10,500 barrels June 5 - compared with an estimated daily flow of 12,000 to 19,000 barrels.

The US official in charge of the government operation, Admiral Thad Allen, confirmed the estimate, but refused to point out what percentage of the leaking oil it represented.

"We're not going to know how much oil is coming out until we're able to optimize the production, and that's what they're doing right now," Allen told ABC television.

BP acknowledged Monday that it had already spent $1.25 billion in containing the spill.

Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama warned Monday that the economic impact from the oil spill would be "substantial" as he met top officials in the disaster-control effort.

He also ramped up pressure on BP to streamline its claims process for Gulf coast residents seeking compensation for lost livelihoods and promised them "constant, vigilant attention" from his administration.

Agencies