Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Timeline

The following information is taken from the [http://www.doi.gov/ Department of the Interior] and the [http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/o/oil_spills/gulf_of_mexico_2010/index.html?scp=1-spot&sq=BP%20Oil%20Spill&st=cseupdates/ New York Times] on the updates of the BP Oil Spill. To look for more detailed information regarding the BP Oil Spill visit the [http://www.bp.com/extendedsectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=40&contentId=7061813/BP Global Site Oil Spill Response].

August 8

• cement plug had been successfully put in place after a procedure to seal the leaking well in the Gulf of Mexico
• next step will be a relief well

August 4

• Static Kill of Gulf Oil well is deemed a success
• Carol Browner, the president's energy and climate adviser, will visit Panama and Florida for discussion
• scientists react with skepticism at federal government's report over extent of spill cleanup

July 30:

• Effort to Permanently Plug Well Is Progressing
• State and federal biologists released 13 laughing gulls, two royal terns and one sandwich tern at Rockefeller State Wildlife Refuge

July 27:

• bill intended to tighten environmental and safety standards for offshore drilling introduced
• BP increased the money set aside for spill-related costs to $32.2 billion on Tuesday
• wellhead off southeastern Louisiana was spewing oil and gas up to 100 feet into the air on Tuesday

July 26:

• Admiral Allen said workers could begin the procedure called a static kill on Aug. 2
• Robert Dudley expected to replace Hayward as BP chief

July 25:

• quick turnaround for continuing oil cleanup in the Gulf
• endangered baby sea turtles released back into the Gulf

July 24:

• 28.3 percent of gulf oil production and 10.4 percent of natural gas output has stopped because of storm
• emergency alarm on oil rig partly disabled - new discovery

July 21:

• bad weather could cause delays in BP's work at the Deepwater Horizon oil well
• Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Conoco Phillips plan to commit $1 billion to set up a rapid-response system to deal with oil spills

July 20:

• Testing of oil cap extended another 24 hours with officials considering killing the well entirely
• speculations of other seeps occur

July 19:

• Subsea containment efforts continue with the capping stage
• 408 controlled burns

July 15:

• 5,000 personnel are currently responding to protect the shoreline and wildlife
• 32.9 million gallons of an oil-water mix have been recovered
• 1.84 million gallons of total dispersant have been applied
• 581 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline are currently oiled

July 14:

• 31.8 million gallons of an oil-water mix have been recovered
• 348 controlled burns
• 572 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline are currently oiled
• 1.82 million gallons of total dispersant have been applied

July 13:

• 31.4 million gallons of an oil-water mix have been recovered
• 330 controlled burns have been conducted
• 550 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline are currently oiled

July 6:

• ensure the safety of seafood coming from the Gulf, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and state authorities have agreed upon a shared protocol
• BP also has begun connecting a floating riser pipe to third vessel, the Helix Producer, which will increase collection capacity to an estimated 53,000 barrels per day
• 45,700 personnel are currently responding to protect the shoreline and wildlife
• 484 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline are currently oiled
• 1.72 million gallons of total dispersant have been applied

July 5:

• NOAA expanded the closed fishing area in the Gulf of Mexico to include portions of the oil slick
• Tar balls collected from the Crystal Beach on the Texas coast were from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill with approximately 35 gallons of sand/seaweed/tar balls collected
• 45,000 personnel are currently responding to protect the shoreline and wildlife
• 31.3 million gallons of an oil-water mix have been recovered
• 492 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline are currently oiled

July 4:

• making progress on new oil that washed because of bad weather in Hurricane Alex

July 1:

• 42,700 personnel are currently responding to protect the shoreline and wildlife
• 1.61 million gallons of total dispersant have been applied
• 428 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline are currently oiled

June 30:

• EPA Releases First Round of Toxicity Testing Data for Eight Oil Dispersants
• 42,700 personnel are currently responding to protect the shoreline and wildlife
• 1.61 million gallons of total dispersant have been applied
• 423 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline are currently oiled

June 29:

• Vice President Biden Travels to Gulf Coast to Assess Response Efforts
• Fish and Wildlife Service and Coast Guard, released more than 70 rehabilitated brown pelicans back to the wild from the USCG station in Brunswick, Ga.
• 38,900 personnel are currently responding to protect the shoreline and wildlife and cleanup vital coastlines
• 1.6 million gallons of total dispersant have been applied
• 413 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline are currently oiled

June 28:

• NOAA-Supported Scientists Predict Increase in Area Containing Depleted Oxygen or the “dead zone”
• 38,600 personnel are currently responding to protect the shoreline and wildlife
• 28.2 million gallons of an oil-water mix have been recovered
• 213 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline are currently oiled

June 25:

• 37,000 personnel, more than 4,500 vessels engaged
• 275 controlled burns have been carried out to date, removing about 239,000 barrels of sea surface oil