BP says it's catching about one-fifth of the spilling oil.
This May 10 satellite image shows a clearly defined oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico. Marine scientists fear that two powerful Gulf currents will carry the oil to other reefs: the eastward flowing loop current could spread the oil about 450 miles to the Florida Keys, while the Louisiana coastal current could move the oil as far west as central Texas.
New Orleans -- BP said today it was siphoning more than one-fifth of the oil that has been spewing into the Gulf for almost a month, as worries escalated that the ooze may reach a major ocean current that could carry it through the Florida Keys and up the East Coast.
BP PLC chief operating officer Doug Suttles said today on NBC's "Today" that a mile-long tube was funneling a little more than 1,000 barrels - 42,000 gallons - of crude a day from a blown well into a tanker ship. The company and the U.S. Coast Guard have estimated about 5,000 barrels - 210,000 gallons - have been spewing out each day. Engineers finally got the contraption working on Sunday after weeks of failed solutions - however, millions of gallons of oil are already in the Gulf of Mexico.
Crews will slowly ramp up how much oil the tube collects over the next few days. They need to move slowly because they don't want too much frigid seawater entering the pipe, which could combine with gases to form the same ice-like crystals that doomed the previous containment effort.
As engineers worked to get a better handle on the spill, a researcher told The Associated Press that computer models show the oil may have already seeped into a powerful water stream known as the loop current, which could propel it into the Atlantic Ocean. A boat is being sent later this week to collect samples and learn more.
"This can't be passed off as 'it's not going to be a problem,'" said William Hogarth, dean of the University of South Florida's College of Marine Science. "This is a very sensitive area. We are concerned with what happens in the Florida Keys."
More oil spill news
» Interactive map showing the spill [The New York Times]
» The Gulf spill: Who should investigate? [The Atlantic]
» BP capturing 1,000 barrels a day from Gulf oil leak [BusinessWeek]
» Oil spill response to be assessed on Capitol Hill [CNN]
» In wake of Gulf oil spill, drilling critics warn of spill in Arctic Ocean [The Associated Press]
» Continuing coverage, videos, infographics and more [Nola.com]