The Gulf of Mexico oil spill: What happens now?

Timon Singh

The Gulf of Mexico oil spill is a disaster of unparalleled magnitude. Until this weekend, 17,000 barrels of oil were gushing into the sea and while BP's new containment cap may be funnelling off 10,000 barrels a day, oil is still pouring into the sea and the slick is now larger than Washington state.

The Gulf of Mexico oil spill is a disaster of unparalleled magnitude. Until this weekend, 17,000 barrels of oil were gushing into the sea and while BP's new containment cap may be funnelling off 10,000 barrels a day, oil is still pouring into the sea and the slick is now larger than Washington state.

For 45 days, oil has been flowing into the sea from a ruptured riser pipe and in that time, the world has seen BP vilified, President Obama attempt to counter the political fallout and most tragically, the environmental impact. And it's still not over.

The Obama administration may have launched an official investigation into the disaster, but the truth of the matter is they still need BP on site to manage the leak. The company has arguably the most experience in the world when it comes to underwater drilling and the US government seizing control, despite political pressure to do so, could potentially make things worse.

Instead, they are tasked with responding to the crisis and its impact on the economy and environment. BP has itself already spent more than $1 billion on clean-up and has seen its share price drop to a third since the accident. Despite pledges that the government would make sure BP 'restored the Gulf to its original state' as well as foot the bill (estimated to be around $24 billion), the impact of the spill is already immeasurable.

The region's fishing industry is essentially dead, as is the tourism industry. For an area that was once beloved for its wet land and sandy beaches, the landscape is now tarnished with oil stains and globules of tar.

The government has pledged to stand with residents of Louisiana until they are "made whole", but no-one knows how long that could take.

No-one should be pleased "as long as there's oil in the water"

The man who has been the target of vilification and the public face of BP, Tony Hayward, has been positive about the current efforts to curb the spill, but he cannot deny the uphill struggle facing the company. While he is quick to say positive soundbites such as "We're going to clean up the oil, we're going to re-mediate any environmental damage and we are going to return the Gulf coast to the position it was in prior to this event. That's an absolute commitment, we will be there long after the media has gone, making good on our promises," it is a task that could last decades.

It is estimated that up to 45 million gallons of oil has flowed into the Gulf, closing one-third of federal waters to fishing fleets and well as killing numerous birds and animals. And it's still spreading....

Following both south and east to the Florida coastline, another fear is that the oil slick could further spread once hurricane season starts. However for now, the US Coast Guard are more concerned that a powerful "loop current" could push the spill closer to the southern Florida coast.

So while oil containment may be becoming more likely, albeit in August when the two relief wells are finished, the disaster is far from over....

Relevant articles:

What does the oil spill mean for US drilling policy? | Gulf oil slick: A boon to future alternative energy? | BP is using toxic dispersants in Gulf | America's greatest ecological disaster