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• New Gulf oil spill claims process getting underway

  June 5, 2012 6:23 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Thousands of victims of BP's 2010 Gulf oil spill will participate in a new process for economic-loss and medical claims associated with the accident. The Deepwater Horizon Claims Center, run by court-appointed administrator Patrick Juneau, will open 18 intake centers across the Gulf Coast next week... more »

• People Close to Case: Gulf Oil Spill Trial Delayed

  February 26, 2012 3:28 PM

  A federal trial over the nation's worst offshore oil disaster has been delayed for a week to allow more time for settlement talks, according to two people close to the case. The two people told The Associated Press the decision was made Sunday during a conference call between parties in... more »

• Gulf Oil Spill Documentary to Screen in N.O.

  October 14, 2011 6:21 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A documentary about the Gulf oil spill is getting its North American premiere at a New Orleans movie theater. "The Big Fix," which was screened in May at the Cannes Film Festival in France, was scheduled Friday night at the Prytania Theater as part of the... more »

• Appeals panel for Gulf oil spill formed

  June 10, 2011 9:33 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A panel has been set up to handle appeals on damage claims against BP over its massive oil spill last year. The 25-person panel was appointed by Jack M. Weiss, the chancellor of the Louisiana State University law center. The panel will look at appeals for... more »

• National Emergency Grant Gulf Oil Spill Training Funding Available

  May 16, 2011 9:40 AM

  Event Name - National Emergency Grant (NEG) Gulf Oil Spill Training Funding Available Organization - Lafayette and Surrounding Workforce Investment Boards/Region IV Event Place - Business and Career Solutions Centers Event Date - On-Going Training Opportunity Event Phone Number - (337)261-5601 Event Website - www.laworks.net... more »

• Foundation Offers Second Round of Rig Relief Grants Application period for qualified workers runs March 15-May 13

  February 16, 2011 2:17 PM

  Applications will be accepted from March 15 to May 13 for the Gulf Coast Restoration and Protection Foundation's second round of financial assistance grants for oil rig workers affected by the federally imposed deepwater moratorium that followed the 2010 Gulf oil spill. Under the terms of the act of... more »

• Commission won't be last word on Gulf oil spill

  January 6, 2011 5:55 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The last word on the largest offshore oil spill in history won't be the conclusion from a presidentially appointed commission finding that decisions intended to save time and money created an unreasonable amount of risk. But it already has the companies involved with the blown-out well... more »

• Coast Guard checks on discolored water near La.

  October 23, 2010 4:54 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) The Coast Guard says an area of discolored water near a Mississippi River pass south of New Orleans appears to be an algae bloom, but another spot 10 miles away could be oil. Spokesman Jeff Hall says tests could determine if the suspected oil is from the... more »

• Coast Guard checks discolored water in south La.

  October 23, 2010 4:54 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) Coast Guard crews are checking on an area of brown or dark red water near a Mississippi River pass south of New Orleans to see whether it's oil or an algae bloom. Jeff Hall, spokesman for the Unified Area Command, says the Coast Guard sent two flights... more »

• Panel: Gov't thwarted worst-case scenario on spill

  October 6, 2010 11:42 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) The White House blocked efforts by federal scientists to tell the public just how bad the Gulf oil spill could have been. That finding comes from a panel appointed by President Barack Obama to investigate the worst offshore oil spill in history. In documents released Wednesday, the national... more »

• American Bob Dudley succeeds Hayward as BP's CEO

  October 1, 2010 3:23 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) Two of the faces best known to the public in the aftermath of the Gulf oil spill have stepped down from their jobs. The chief executive of BP PLC, Tony Hayward, is being succeeded by American Bob Dudley. Hayward was criticized for his handling of the crisis... more »

• Recreational Red Snapper Season OK'd for Gulf

  September 22, 2010 10:00 AM

  MOBILE, Ala. - Federal fisheries managers have approved a weekend recreational red snapper season for the Gulf of Mexico in October and November. The National Marine Fisheries Service set the season on Tuesday. It will run Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Oct. 1 until Nov. 22. Officials say the daily... more »

• Oil spill response head tours Plaquemines Parish

  September 21, 2010 11:23 AM

  VENICE, La. (AP) The head of the federal government's Gulf oil spill response is in Plaquemines Parish. Coast Guard Adm. Paul Zukunft planned Tuesday to tour Gulf coast marshes to look for any signs of oil. He also is to visit with participates in the vessels of opportunity program which... more »

• Response chief: Efforts to clean up BP oil ongoing

  September 21, 2010 11:23 AM

  BAY JIMMY, La. (AP) Cleanup crews on fishing boats outfitted with giant vacuum devices sucked up pools of oil from the blackened edge of a small Louisiana barrier island Tuesday as the head of the federal oil spill response looked on. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Paul Zukunft toured coastal areas,... more »

• Cement flows for permanent plug of BP's Gulf well

  September 18, 2010 3:00 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) Crews are pumping cement into BP's blown-out oil well thousands of feet below the sea bottom, working to permanently seal the runaway well. Engineers initially had planned to pump in mud before the cement, but a BP spokesman said that would not be necessary. There was no... more »

• Relief well intersects blown-out BP well in Gulf

  September 16, 2010 11:32 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) The U.S government says a relief well has intersected BP's blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico. It's a prelude to plugging it once and for all. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the government's point man on the oil spill, said in a statement late Thursday... more »

• Gulf oil well on verge of being plugged for good

  September 16, 2010 11:32 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) After five months, the oil well that had spewed thousands of gallons into the Gulf of Mexico is on the verge of being plugged once and for all. The U.S government said late Thursday that a relief well drilled nearly 2.5 miles beneath the floor of the... more »

• Oil well blowout preventer reaches NASA facility

  September 11, 2010 6:21 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) A Coast Guard official says the 300-ton device that failed to stop the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill after a rig exploded has arrived at a NASA facility in Louisiana for analysis. Lt. Suzanne Kerver told The Associated Press that the barge carrying the blowout preventer... more »

• Feds: Drilling moratorium depends on industry

  September 10, 2010 12:53 PM

  BILOXI, Miss. (AP) A key U.S. government official says the moratorium on deepwater oil drilling likely won't be extended past Nov. 30, but whether it is cut short will be entirely up to the industry. Michael Bromwich, director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, told The... more »

• All eyes on BP report on Gulf oil spill disaster

  September 8, 2010 3:15 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) BP says it plans to release results of its internal investigation into the rig explosion that killed 11 workers and led to the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill. BP was striking first Wednesday with a detailed report about what it believes went wrong on the Deepwater... more »

• US won't say if blowout preventer on way to shore

  September 6, 2010 4:24 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) The Justice Department won't say if the blowout preventer that failed to stop oil from gushing from BP's undersea well into the Gulf of Mexico is on its way to shore. Spokeswoman Hannah August declined comment Monday. The 50-foot, 300-ton device, which was lifted to the surface... more »

• Key oil spill evidence secured on boat in the Gulf

  September 4, 2010 8:32 AM

  ON THE GULF OF MEXICO (AP) A key piece of evidence in the oil spill probe has been safely secured on a boat in the Gulf of Mexico, and investigators are getting their first chance to personally look at the device up close. The blowout preventer was placed into a... more »

• Crews prepare to raise failed blowout preventer

  September 2, 2010 4:55 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) A vessel has latched onto a key piece of evidence in the oil spill investigation so crews can raise the 300-ton device to the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. BP says the Helix Q4000 latched onto the blowout preventer a mile beneath the sea on Friday... more »

• Feds downplay risk of leak when well cap moved

  August 31, 2010 11:03 AM

  The federal government's point man on the Gulf of Mexico spill response says there is no "significant risk" that more oil will leak into the sea when engineers remove the temporary cap Thursday that first contained the gusher in mid-July. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said Wednesday that vessels... more »

• Risks remain with Gulf well cap coming off

  August 31, 2010 11:03 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) Engineers don't expect to see another gusher when they delicately remove a cap on the blown-out Gulf of Mexico well that spawned the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history. The planned removal of the cap Thursday is a prelude to raising the massive blowout preventer that... more »

• Allen set to tour Louisiana marsh

  August 31, 2010 11:03 AM

  PORT SULPHUR, La. (AP) The federal government's point man on the BP oil spill response has scheduled a tour of a coastal marsh and a meeting with a public official who is often highly critical of the federal response. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen was to hold a news... more »

• Allen tours Louisiana marsh with coast leader

  August 31, 2010 11:03 AM

  MYRTLE GROVE, La. (AP) The federal government's point man on the BP oil spill response has been discussing the latest developments with one of Louisiana's coastal leaders. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen went into a private meeting Tuesday afternoon with Plqauemines Parish President Billy Nungesser after Allen toured coastal... more »

• Allen: Friday or later before spill crews resume

  August 31, 2010 11:03 AM

  MYRTLE GROVE, La. (AP) Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen says it will be Friday or later before efforts can resume to remove the failed blowout preventer from the deep water well that caused the huge Gulf oil spill. Allen told a news conference Tuesday in Myrtle Grove that high... more »

• Another delay hits final plugging of BP's well

  August 30, 2010 12:36 PM

  BP PLC says high seas on the Gulf of Mexico have delayed operations to raise the piece of equipment from the seabed that failed to prevent the massive oil spill. The oil giant, in a Twitter posting Monday, did not say how long the delay would be. Engineers were supposed... more »

• More federal waters in Gulf reopening to fishing

  August 27, 2010 10:49 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) The U.S. government is reopening more federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico for commercial and recreational fishing that had been closed because of the massive oil spill. Jane Lubchenco, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told reporters Friday that the government is reopening 4,281... more »

• BP exec avoids question on relief well completion

  August 26, 2010 11:12 AM

  HOUSTON (AP) BP officials testifying during a hearing in Houston were unwilling or unable to provide a clear picture of the company's heirarchy or say who was in charge of the rig leased by the oil giant the day it blew up. Federal investigators became visibly annoyed Thursday, with U.S.... more »

• BP exec avoids question on relief well completion

  August 26, 2010 11:12 AM

  HOUSTON (AP) A senior BP executive is again avoiding committing the oil giant to using relief wells to seal to the Gulf of Mexico well that blew out in April. The comments by Senior Vice President Kent Wells on Thursday indicated there may still be disagreement between BP and Retired... more »

• BP exec avoids question on relief well completion

  August 26, 2010 11:12 AM

  HOUSTON (AP) A senior BP executive is again avoiding committing the oil giant to using relief wells to seal to the Gulf of Mexico well that blew out in April. Senior Vice President Kent Wells on Thursday skirted questions by federal investigators on whether the oil giant will proceed with... more »

• BP vice president testifies before federal panel

  August 25, 2010 11:17 AM

  HOUSTON (AP) A BP vice president says critical time was wasted in the hours after the Gulf of Mexico well explosion trying to learn what changes had been made to a device meant to prevent oil from leaking from the blown-out well. BP executive vice president for drilling and completions... more »

• BP vice president testifies before federal panel

  August 25, 2010 11:17 AM

  HOUSTON (AP) A BP vice president says critical time was wasted in the hours after the Gulf of Mexico well explosion trying to learn what changes had been made to a device meant to prevent oil from leaking from the blown-out well. BP vice president for drilling and completions Harry... more »

• BP vice president testifies before federal panel

  August 25, 2010 11:17 AM

  HOUSTON (AP) A BP vice president says critical time was wasted in the hours after the Gulf of Mexico well explosion trying to learn what changes had been made to a device meant to prevent oil from leaking from the blown-out well. BP executive vice president for drilling and completions... more »

• Gulf Oil Spill-Waste Disposal

  August 25, 2010 9:11 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The cleanup of history's worst peacetime oil spill is generating thousands of tons of oil-soaked debris that is ending up in local landfills, some of which have existing environmental concerns. The soft, absorbent boom that has played the biggest role in containing the spill alone would... more »

• Transocean official recalls 'confusion' about test

  August 24, 2010 12:37 PM

  HOUSTON (AP) An official says a high-ranking employee indicated a pressure test problem had been resolved hours before BP's Gulf of Mexico well blew out. Daun Winslow works for Transocean, which owns the rig that exploded April 20, killing 11 workers and setting off the Gulf spill. Winslow tells a... more »

• Transocean official recalls 'confusion' about test

  August 24, 2010 12:37 PM

  HOUSTON (AP) An official says a high-ranking employee indicated a pressure test problem had been resolved hours before BP's Gulf of Mexico well blew out. Daun Winslow works for Transocean, which owns the rig that exploded April 20, killing 11 workers and setting off the Gulf spill. Winslow tells a... more »

• Feinberg says no-sue requirement was his idea

  August 22, 2010 3:04 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) The new administrator for claims by Gulf oil spill victims says it was his idea, not BP's, to require that anyone who receives a final settlement from the $20 billion compensation fund give up the right to sue the oil giant. But Ken Feinberg told reporters Sunday... more »

• Feinberg says no-sue requirement was his idea

  August 22, 2010 3:04 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) The new administrator for claims by Gulf oil spill victims says it was his idea, not BP's, to require that anyone who receives a final settlement from the $20 billion compensation fund give up the right to sue the oil giant. But Ken Feinberg told reporters Sunday... more »

• Feds: BP's Gulf well to be killed after Labor Day

  August 18, 2010 4:15 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) The government now says the final plugging of BP's blown-out Gulf well will begin sometime after Labor Day. Jeffrey Carter, an aide to the goverment's spill chief, tells The Associated Press on Thursday that the plan is to replace a failed piece of equipment called the blowout... more »

• Feds: No timeline for completing Gulf relief well

  August 17, 2010 7:17 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) The government's point man on the Gulf oil spill is no longer giving a timeline for completing the final stages of plugging BP's runaway well for good. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen told reporters Wednesday that he will give the order to complete the so-called relief... more »

• Gulf surface looks cleaner, but woes lurk below

  August 17, 2010 7:17 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) Researchers are warning that the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is a bigger mess than the government claims and that a lot of crude is lurking deep below the surface, some of it settling perhaps in a critical undersea canyon off the Florida Panhandle. Scientists at the University... more »

• Final kill of BP's well at least a week away

  August 16, 2010 1:24 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) The final plug on BP's blown-out oil well in the Gulf of Mexico won't be finished until officials are convinced it's safe to go ahead. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen told reporters Monday that once the order to start the permanent fix is given, it will... more »

• Gulf driller to light up cigar after job is done

  August 15, 2010 12:29 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) The man drilling the relief well meant to plug BP's broken oil well in the Gulf of Mexico says the 41st project of his career is the biggest. John Wright told The Associated Press from onboard the Development Driller III vessel that he gets satisfaction from seeing... more »

• La. shrimpers worry about prices for new season

  August 15, 2010 12:29 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) The opening of a new commercial season for Louisiana shrimpers is starting as uncertainty remains over low prices, whether consumers will buy their catch and if any danger still exists from the massive BP oil spill. And keeping track of what the areas are now open can... more »

• Final plug on Gulf oil leak at least days away

  August 14, 2010 2:56 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) The government's point man on the Gulf spill wants additional testing before he orders BP to finish drilling a relief well that will allow the oil giant to plug its runaway well for good. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen told reporters on Saturday that it could... more »

• Officials testing seal at BP's busted Gulf well

  August 12, 2010 3:15 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) Tests are under way to determine whether BP's broken well in the Gulf of Mexico has already been plugged for good. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the Obama administration's point man on the spill, says the tests should be finished and analyzed by early Friday. The... more »

• BP's Gulf Oil Spill Costs Rise to $6.1 Billion

  August 9, 2010 9:06 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - BP says its costs to respond to the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has risen to about $6.1 billion. That includes expenses for relief well drilling, the static kill and cementing procedure done on the blown out oil well, grants to Gulf coast... more »

• Gulf relief well down to final, tricky 100 feet

  August 9, 2010 3:15 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) The relief well being drilled to ensure crude never again spills into the ocean from BP's paralyzed well in the Gulf of Mexico has been dubbed the ultimate solution to the drama that's unfolded over the past three months. It's the final, suspenseful act as one man... more »

• Gulf seafood industry tries to shake an oily image

  August 8, 2010 2:28 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) Those who rely on the Gulf of Mexico's rich fishing grounds say there's a new crisis brewing convincing skeptical consumers that the seafood they harvest and sell is safe to eat. The Gulf's fisheries are beginning to reopen more than three months after the oil began gushing... more »

• Gulf seafood industry tries to shake an oily image

  August 7, 2010 3:05 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) Those who harvest, process and sell the Gulf of Mexico's famous seafood are trying to convince wary consumers the catch is not only delicious, but safe. Some fishing grounds have begun to open more than three months after BP's blown-out well began gushing crude, and tests show... more »

• Children Deal with Gulf Oil Spill Stress Too

  August 6, 2010 8:56 AM

  GALLIANO, La. (AP) - Nine-year-old Zack Wilkerson spent a good chunk of his summer on the computer watching video of undersea robots try to fix the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It wasn't his first choice, but the oil that spewed into the Gulf about 100 miles from... more »

• BP finishes pumping cement into blown-out well

  August 5, 2010 4:14 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) BP says engineers have finished plugging the blown-out Gulf of Mexico well with cement in their effort to permanently seal it. The company said Thursday that its engineers finished pumping cement into the deep-sea well at 2:15 Central time. On Wednesday they pumped enough mud into the... more »

• Oil-fouled Gulf still has a long recovery ahead

  August 5, 2010 4:14 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) Even after stuffing the blown-out Gulf of Mexico well with enough mud to pack down the oil, federal officials aren't ready to declare victory over the stubborn spill yet. Neither are many Gulf residents, who have agonized as engineers launched one effort after another to finally quell... more »

• BP finishes pumping cement into blown-out well

  August 5, 2010 4:14 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) BP says engineers have finished plugging the blown-out Gulf of Mexico well with cement in their effort to permanently seal it. The company said Thursday that its engineers finished pumping cement into the deep-sea well at 2:15 Central time. On Wednesday they pumped enough mud into the... more »

• The Job is Not Finished on Gulf Oil Spill

  August 4, 2010 9:18 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The government's point man on the oil spill response says engineers will still try to firm up the now-plugged Gulf leak through a relief well. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen told WWL-TV in New Orleans on Wednesday that pumping mud down the throat of the... more »

• Spill chief OKs plan to force cement down oil well

  August 4, 2010 3:15 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) The federal official in charge of the Gulf oil spill says he has approved BP's plan to pump cement down the throat of the blown-out Gulf of Mexico well in hopes of sealing it for good. The company plans to shove cement down from pipes attached to... more »

• Spill chief OKs plan to force cement down oil well

  August 4, 2010 3:15 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) The federal official in charge of the Gulf oil spill says he has approved BP's plan to pump cement down the throat of the blown-out Gulf of Mexico well in hopes of sealing it for good. The company plans to shove cement down from pipes attached to... more »

• Testing for Gulf spill kill effort is delayed

  August 2, 2010 4:34 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) BP says engineers have delayed until Tuesday a test on whether it can begin pumping mud into the blown-out Gulf of Mexico well in hopes of choking it for good. The company said in a statement Monday the test was pushed back a day after a small... more »

• Gulf crews prepare to start plugging well for good

  August 2, 2010 4:34 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) Engineers on the Gulf of Mexico hope to begin a plan by Monday evening to shove mud and perhaps cement into the blown-out oil well at the seafloor, making it easier to end the gusher for good. The only thing keeping millions more gallons of oil out... more »

• Oil plug attempt nears; relief well role unclear

  August 2, 2010 4:34 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) The government's point man on the Gulf oil spill says several minor leaks have sprung near the blown-out well. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said Monday that engineers are working to repair the leaks and that they will not delay the effort to plug the gusher... more »

• Testing for Gulf spill kill effort is delayed

  August 2, 2010 4:34 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) BP says engineers have delayed until Tuesday a test on whether it can begin pumping mud into the blown-out Gulf of Mexico well in hopes of choking it for good. The company said in a statement Monday the test was pushed back a day after a small... more »

• BP hedges on role of relief well in Gulf oil leak

  August 2, 2010 4:34 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) BP officials say the role of a relief well long considered the only sure-fire way to kill the Gulf oil leak is now unclear. BP PLC Senior Vice President Kent Wells said Monday that engineers may pump cement directly into the busted well via a surface ship.... more »

• Gulf crews prepare to start plugging well for good

  August 2, 2010 4:34 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) BP says it will start shoving mud and maybe cement into the blown-out oil well in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday in what could be one of the final steps to plug it for good. BP PLC Senior Vice President Kent Wells said Monday that crews... more »

• Gulf crews hope to wrap up kill-attempt tests

  August 2, 2010 1:55 AM

  HOUSTON (AP) BP engineers hope soon to finish testing the blown-out Gulf of Mexico oil well to determine whether it can begin pumping mud down its throat in hopes of choking it for good. Engineers plan to probe the busted blowout preventer with an oil-like liquid Tuesday to decide whether... more »

• On Gulf, a turning point nears in spill efforts

  August 2, 2010 1:55 AM

  HOUSTON (AP) BP engineers hope soon to finish testing the blown-out Gulf of Mexico oil well to determine whether it can pump mud down its throat in hopes of starting to choking it for good. Engineers planned to probe the busted blowout preventer with an oil-like liquid Tuesday to determine... more »

• Gulf crews hope to wrap up kill-attempt tests

  August 2, 2010 1:55 AM

  HOUSTON (AP) BP engineers hope soon to finish testing the blown-out Gulf of Mexico oil well to determine whether it can begin pumping mud down its throat in hopes of choking it for good. Engineers plan to probe the busted blowout preventer with an oil-like liquid Tuesday to decide whether... more »

• On Gulf, a turning point nears in spill efforts

  August 2, 2010 1:55 AM

  HOUSTON (AP) BP engineers hope soon to finish testing the blown-out Gulf of Mexico oil well to determine whether it can pump mud down its throat in hopes of starting to choking it for good. Engineers planned to probe the busted blowout preventer with an oil-like liquid Tuesday to determine... more »

• New questions arise on dispersant use in oil spill

  August 1, 2010 3:37 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) The Environmental Protection Agency says BP cut its use of chemical dispersants in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill after being ordered to do so. The EPA statement Sunday comes a day after Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., released a letter saying that "BP often carpet bombed the... more »

• 3 squabbling companies must cooperate to plug well

  July 31, 2010 4:00 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) On shore, BP, Halliburton and Transocean are engaging in a billion-dollar blame game over the blown-out oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. At sea, they're depending on each other to finally plug up the environmental disaster. Workers say the companies' adversarial relationship before Congress, in public... more »

• Incoming BP CEO: Time for 'scaleback' in cleanup

  July 30, 2010 4:59 AM

  BILOXI, Miss. (AP) BP's incoming CEO says it's time to scale back the massive effort to clean up the oil spill, but adds that the commitment to make things right is the same as ever. Bob Dudley was in Biloxi, Miss., on Friday to announce that former Federal Emergency Management... more »

• BP hiring former FEMA head for Gulf recovery

  July 30, 2010 4:59 AM

  BILOXI, Miss. (AP) BP says it's hiring a former Clinton-era emergency management official and his consulting firm to help with the recovery from the massive Gulf oil spill. Incoming BP CEO Bob Dudley is in Biloxi, Miss., to outline his company's long-term efforts to help the Gulf. The oil giant... more »

• Dudley to outline BP plans to help Gulf recover

  July 29, 2010 8:10 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) Incoming BP CEO Bob Dudley is set to outline his company's long-term efforts to help the Gulf of Mexico recover from the oil spill and will be getting help from a Clinton administration-era emergency management official. The oil giant says Dudley will be in Biloxi, Miss., Friday... more »

• Dudley to outline BP plans to help Gulf recover

  July 29, 2010 8:10 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) Incoming BP CEO Bob Dudley is set to outline his company's long-term efforts to help the Gulf of Mexico recover from the oil spill and will be getting help from a Clinton administration-era emergency management official. The oil giant says Dudley will be in Biloxi, Miss., Friday... more »

• Step in effort to kill gusher may be accelerated

  July 28, 2010 8:26 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) The government's point man for the Gulf oil spill says preparations for an attempt to plug the gusher from above are going well enough that the timeline for the "static kill" may be moved up. Work on the relief well needed for a permanent fix must be... more »

• Crews take step toward readying permanent well fix

  July 28, 2010 8:15 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) Crews have taken another step toward readying the relief well expected to finally kill the Gulf of Mexico oil gusher. Federal officials said Wednesday they've removed the plug they had popped in before clearing the area ahead of Tropical Storm Bonnie last week. They also say a... more »

• Gulf cleanup will change once oil stops for good

  July 28, 2010 8:15 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) The government's point man for the Gulf spill says he's planning to meet with coastal parish officials to talk about what's next now that the oil has stopped flowing. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said crews are having trouble finding patches of the crude that had... more »

• Gulf cleanup will change once oil stops for good

  July 28, 2010 8:15 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) The government's point man for the Gulf spill says he's planning to meet with coastal parish officials to talk about what's next now that the oil has stopped flowing. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said crews are having trouble finding patches of the crude that had... more »

• Crews take step toward readying permanent well fix

  July 28, 2010 8:15 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) Crews have taken another step toward readying the relief well expected to finally kill the Gulf of Mexico oil gusher. Federal officials said Wednesday they've removed the plug they had popped in before clearing the area ahead of Tropical Storm Bonnie last week. They also say a... more »

• BP hopes to turn page with new CEO, leaner company

  July 27, 2010 9:12 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) BP officials say they are beginning to reinvent a company that reported a record $17 billion quarterly loss and is navigating the politically fraught task of making the Gulf of Mexico new. The company named its first American CEO on Tuesday during its quarterly earnings call, while... more »

• BP hopes to turn page with new CEO, leaner company

  July 27, 2010 9:12 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) BP officials say they are beginning to reinvent a company that reported a record $17 billion quarterly loss and is navigating the politically fraught task of making the Gulf of Mexico new. The company named its first American CEO on Tuesday during its quarterly earnings call, while... more »

• Allen: BP well-killing process starts in a week

  July 26, 2010 3:15 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) The government's oil spill chief says workers expect to begin the two-step process of finally killing BP's blown-out well in a week. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen says Monday that the so-called "static kill" in which mud and cement are blasted into the top of the... more »

• Ships prepare to return to spill as storm weakens

  July 24, 2010 4:00 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) A key ship is preparing to move back toward the site of BP's broken oil well as the remnants of Tropical Storm Bonnie weaken over the Gulf. A BP spokesman says the rig drilling the relief tunnel that will blast mud into the broken well to permanently... more »

• Evacuation of spill site called off, ships return

  July 24, 2010 4:00 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) BP's evacuation of the Gulf of Mexico has been called off and ships are heading back to the site of the leaky well. The remnants of Tropical Storm Bonnie moved over the spill, but cameras that have given a constant view of the broken well apparently never... more »

• Oil spill work on hold as TS Bonnie approaches

  July 22, 2010 8:51 AM

  ON THE GULF OF MEXICO (AP) Work to permanently choke off the oil well that had been spewing into the Gulf of Mexico is at a standstill after ships around the site were ordered to evacuate ahead of the approaching Tropical Storm Bonnie. There had been worries that the cap... more »

• Feds bring in some cleanup vessels ahead of storm

  July 22, 2010 8:34 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) The federal government is calling into port some of the boats involved in the BP oil spill cleanup amid storm predictions in the Gulf of Mexico. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Paul Zukunft (zoo-KUNFT'), the New Orleans-based second-in-command on the project, says his order Thursday afternoon was to... more »

• BP reduces number of boats skimming oil in Gulf

  July 21, 2010 9:01 AM

  ORANGE BEACH, Ala. (AP) BP says it has reduced the number of boats skimming for oil in the Gulf of Mexico by more than a quarter. The move comes after BP stopped oil from barreling into the Gulf of Mexico last week. It has some worried the oil giant is... more »

• Captains say BP telling them to clear out of Gulf

  July 21, 2010 9:01 AM

  %mlink(STRY:; PHOTO:; AUDIO:%) MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) Boat captains say BP is telling them to clear out of the Gulf of Mexico as a tropical storm system threatens the area. Tom Ard, the president of the Orange Beach Fishing Association, says captains who showed up at docks to skim for oil... more »

• BP plugs relief tunnel as storms threaten Gulf

  July 21, 2010 9:01 AM

  %mlink(STRY:; PHOTO:; AUDIO:%) NEW ORLEANS (AP) BP has temporarily corked a relief tunnel deep beneath the sea floor as tropical rainstorms move toward the Gulf of Mexico. The tunnel will be used to blast mud and cement into BP's leaky well, hopefully sealing it off for good. But the threat... more »

• Ships ready to leave leaky well as storm brews

  July 21, 2010 9:01 AM

  ON THE GULF OF MEXICO (AP) Crew members aboard dozens of ships in the Gulf of Mexico are preparing to evacuate as a tropical rainstorm brewing in the Caribbean brings the deep-sea effort to plug BP's ruptured oil well to a near standstill. Though the rough weather is hundreds of... more »

• Storms threaten to shut down BP's Gulf well work

  July 21, 2010 9:01 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) Storms are threatening to delay BP's undersea efforts to permanently plug the leaky well in the Gulf of Mexico. The federal government's oil spill chief says Wednesday that if a storm moves into the Gulf, ships would have to leave and BP couldn't observe the capped well.... more »

• Mud may be pumped in well cap to help contain oil

  July 20, 2010 12:14 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) The federal government's spill chief is considering whether to pump heavy mud and cement through BP's experimental well cap that's keeping oil from the Gulf of Mexico. Retired U.S. Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen says Tuesday that the procedure would make it easier to complete the permanent fix... more »

• BP employee says he reported well safety problem

  July 20, 2010 12:14 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) An employee on BP's blown-out oil well tells government investigators he reported a leak of hydraulic fluid from a critical safety device but doesn't know if federal regulators were notified. Government investigators are trying to determine whether BP missed the leak in the blowout preventer, which could... more »

• Gibbs: BP's ruptured oil well leaking from top

  July 19, 2010 9:06 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) A White House spokesman says BP's ruptured oil well is leaking at the top, along with seepage about two miles away. Robert Gibbs also says officials are monitoring bubbles that can be seen on an underwater camera. Leaks could mean the cap on the well has to be... more »

• Feds: Oil, gas leaking from cap on ruptured well

  July 19, 2010 9:06 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) Oil and gas are leaking from the cap on BP's ruptured oil well, but federal officials intend to leave the cork in place for now. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen says Monday afternoon that the leaks are so far not a major concern. He also says seepage... more »

• Feds: Cap on ruptured BP's oil well leaking

  July 19, 2010 9:06 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) Oil is leaking from the cap on BP's ruptured oil well, but federal officials intend to leave it in place for now. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen says Monday afternoon that the leaks are so far not a major concern. He also says seepage about two miles... more »

• Feds look past oil leaking from BP's cap

  July 19, 2010 9:06 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) Oil from BP's blown out well is again seeping into the Gulf of Mexico, but this time, more slowly and scientists aren't convinced the cap that stopped the flow last week is making things worse. The government said Monday that oil was seeping into the Gulf after... more »

• Feds let BP keep oil cap closed for another day

  July 18, 2010 5:32 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) The federal government's point man for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill says he's authorized BP to keep the cap on its busted well for another 24 hours after the company pledged to closely monitor the seafloor for signs of a new leak. In a statement issued... more »