🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 16 (from laksa194)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa016.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10656239\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10656239\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-10656239","crawl_time":1773772534,"first_indexed_time":1528285737,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,bbc!www,\/news\/world-us-canada-10656239 s443","src_root_hash":"1643509356818581016","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Timeline: BP oil spill - BBC News","meta_descriptions":["A timeline of events since the 20 April start of the BP oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"On 20 April, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 workers and causing an oil spill that soon became the worst environmental disaster in US history.\nHere is a chronology of events in the months since, as BP has struggled to stem the leak and oil has washed ashore along the Gulf Coast, from the fragile Louisiana wetlands to the white sand beaches of Florida.\n19 September\nThe ruptured well is finally sealed and \"effectively dead\", says the top US federal official overseeing the disaster, Coast Guard Adm Thad Allen.\n17 September\nBP pumps cement to seal the damaged well after it was intercepted by a relief well.\n8 September\nIn its own internal report into the Gulf of Mexico oil spill - the first to be published since the disaster - BP spreads the blame for the 11 April explosion and resulting leak.\nIn a\n193-page report\n, external\nBP accepts responsibility in part for the disaster, but also blames other companies working on the well.\n'Many failures' caused BP spill\n5 September\nThad Allen, the US coastguard official overseeing the clean-up operation, says the BP oil well at the centre of the leak poses \"no further risk\" to the environment, despite the final stages of an operation to pump concrete into a relief well remaining unfinished.\nBP well 'poses no further risk'\n3 September\nThe blowout preventer that failed to stop the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig is removed from the stricken Gulf of Mexico oil well by BP. The 300-ton device will be examined as part of the inquiry into the leak of 206m gallons of oil into the Gulf.\nMeanwhile, the cost of the oil spill has risen to $8bn (£5.2bn), BP says - a rise of some $2bn in the past month alone.\nBP blowout preventer 'removed'\n19 August\nA study published in a leading scientific journal confirms the presence of a toxic chemical residue one kilometre below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, but says it amounts to just 0.1% of the total amount spilled.\nOil leak leaves undersea residue\n16 August\nThe US announces that future applications for deepwater offshore drilling will require an environmental assessment, ending a practice that allowed BP's Deepwater Horizon rig to drill with little scrutiny.\nThe White House said decision-making must be \"fully informed\" by knowledge of any potential environmental consequences.\nUS to require oil drilling review\n9 August\nBP announces that the total cost to it of the oil spill so far has reached $6.1bn (£3.8bn). The total includes the cost of the spill response, containment, relief well drilling, and cementing up of the damaged well.\nIt also includes grants to the Gulf states hit by the spill and $319m paid out in compensation to some of those affected by the spill.\nBP oil spill costs pass $6bn mark\nBP deposits $3bn in relief fund\n4 August\n3 August\nThe US government says the oil spill is officially the biggest leak ever, with 4.9 million  barrels of oil leaked before the well was capped last month. Scientists said only a fifth of the leaking oil - around 800,000 barrels - was captured during the clean-up operation.\nBP gears up to halt 'worst spill'\n2 August\nThe US Environmental Protection Agency says in a study the dispersant used after the spill is no more toxic than oil alone. There had been concerns raised by congressional investigators that dispersant may have been more widely used than the government ordered.\nOil dispersant 'not more toxic'\n28 July\n27 July\nImage caption,\nMr Hayward will leave his post by October\nBP confirms that chief executive Tony Hayward will leave his post by mutual agreement in October, but he is likely to retain a position in the company. BP plans to nominate him as a non-executive director of its Russian joint venture, TNK-BP.\nMr Hayward's American colleague, Bob Dudley, who has taken charge of the clean-up operation, will replace him.\nMeanwhile, the oil giant's second quarter earnings are published, showing losses of $17bn for the three months between April and June - a UK record.\nThe company says it has set aside $32.2bn (£20.8bn) to cover the costs linked to the Gulf of Mexico spill.\nBP puts oil spill cost at $32.2bn\n26 July\nThe BBC reveals that 53-year old BP chief executive Tony Hayward will receive a year's salary plus benefits, together worth more than £1m, when he steps down. He will also be entitled to draw an annual pension of £600,000 once he reaches the age of 55.\nBP boss Hayward 'to stand down'\n25 July\nShips involved in BP's effort to secure the blown-out oil well prepare to resume work after a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico weakened.\nCoast Guard chief Adm Thad Allen says the storm put back efforts to drill a relief well by seven to 10 days.\nOil spill vessels return to site\nThe BBC learns that BP's chief executive Tony Hayward, who has faced widespread criticism over his handling of the spill, is negotiating the terms of his exit from his post.\nBP boss Hayward 'negotiates exit'\n22 July\nImage caption,\nThe rig drilling a relief well was ordered to leave the spill site ahead of Tropical Storm Bonnie\nDozens of vessels, including the rig drilling a relief well to permanently block the damaged well, are ordered to leave the site as Tropical Storm Bonnie approaches. BP warns that the final operation to plug the well could be delayed by up to two weeks by the storm.\nThe capped well is to remain unmonitored for several days.\nMeanwhile, BP says it has been given permission to prepare for a \"static kill\" - pumping mud into the top of the well through the new cap - a step viewed as an intermediate measure. The firm would need final approval from the US to carry it out.\nStorm forces ships off spill site\n19 July\nAdm Allen tells BP he is concerned about a \"detected seep\" on the sea floor near the well and other \"undetermined anomalies\". He said that if methane was found to be seeping from the sea floor, oil might also be leaking.\nBP oil cap 'closed for extra day'\n15 July\nWith the new cap in place, BP says it has temporarily shut off the oil flow in order to test the integrity of the well.\nPresident Barack Obama hails \"a positive sign\".\nBP says oil has stopped leaking\n14 July\nAdm Thad Allen says a relief well, which officials and BP have said is the only way permanently to plug the well, has come within 5ft (1.5m) of the leaking well bore.\n10 July\nBP begins a bid to place a tighter-fitting cap atop the leaking wellhead. The company warns that oil will flow freely while the caps are being exchanged, but says it has brought in 400 oil-skimming ships to deal with the increased flow.\n6 July\nOil from the spill reaches Texas, meaning it has affected all five US Gulf Coast states.\nBut officials said it was unclear if the oil had drifted hundreds of kilometres from the leak site to the Texas shore, or had fallen from ships taking part in the clean-up operation.\nGulf oil leak tar balls hit Texas\n5 July\nBP says the oil spill response has cost the company $3.12bn (£2bn), including the cost of containing the spill and cleaning up the oil, and the cost of drilling relief wells. The figure also includes $147m paid out in compensation to some of those affected by the spill.\nBP oil spill costs pass $3bn mark\n22 June\nImage caption,\nMany fishermen put out of work by the oil spill have taken jobs in the clean-up effort\nA federal judge blocks the Obama administration's six-month moratorium on deepwater oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, saying the ban cannot be justified.\nThe administration quickly issues another moratorium with revised terms.\nMeanwhile, BP hands day-to-day control of the response to Bob Dudley, replacing Chief Executive Tony Hayward, who had been widely criticised for his insensitive remarks on the spill.\nUS Gulf oil drilling ban blocked\n18 June\nBP chief executive Tony Hayward receives a tongue-lashing at a hearing in the US Congress.\nHenry Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, says BP's \"complacency\" before the 20 April rig explosion was \"astonishing\".\nCongress turns scorn on BP chief\n17 June\nBP announces it will place $20bn in a fund to compensate victims of the oil spill and says it will not pay a shareholder dividend this year.\n15 June\n14 June\nPresident Obama makes a fourth trip to the gulf.\n12 June\nResponding to complaints in the British media of an anti-British tone to his remarks, President Barack Obama tells UK Prime Minister David Cameron that his criticism of BP has nothing to do with national identity.\nObama defends US criticism of BP\n10 June\n8 June\nImage caption,\nSkimmers, including the giant \"A Whale\", are cleaning oil from the surface\nAdm Thad Allen, the commander of the US response, says clean-up of the oil-stricken Gulf could take years.\nMeanwhile, President Obama says he has been consulting with experts so he can learn \"whose ass to kick\" in the matter.\nThe US government says underwater oil plumes have travelled as far as 40 miles from the site of the leaking well.\nUS oil clean-up 'will take years'\nUnderwater oil plumes 'spreading'\n4 June\nBP places a cap, called the \"lower marine riser package\", atop the leaking wellhead. The cap allows the company to pipe much of the oil and gas leaking from the well to ships on the surface.\nPresident Obama takes a third trip to the region.\nBP begins to funnel off oil spill\n2 June\n30 May\nCarol Browner, President Barack Obama's adviser on energy policy, says the spill is the worst environmental disaster in US history, worse even than the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska.\nSpill 'is worst US eco-disaster'\n28 May\nObama visits the Gulf Coast again and declares \"the buck stops with me\".\n26 May\nBP prepares to plug the leaking well with heavy drilling mud, a procedure called a \"top kill\". The attempt is declared a failure three days later.\nWhat is a 'top kill'?\n19 May\nOceanographers say oil from the leak has entered an ocean current - the \"loop current\" - that could carry it towards Florida and potentially up the US east coast.\nGulf oil 'reaches major current'\n14 May\nImage caption,\nPelicans are among the wildlife harmed by the oil\nResearchers who have analysed underwater video from the leak site estimate as many as 70,000 barrels of oil are leaking into the Gulf per day, with a margin of error of plus or minus 20%, significantly higher than earlier estimates.\nBP tries to thread a tube into the broken wellhead in an effort to collect some of the leaking oil in surface ships.\nMeanwhile, President Obama condemns the \"ridiculous spectacle\" of the companies trading blame while oil spews from the well.\nFresh BP effort to stop oil leak\n, external\n11 May\nAt a series of congressional hearings, BP, Transocean and Halliburton, the three companies involved in the Deepwater Horizon drilling operations, all blame each other for the disaster.\n10 May\nBP officials weigh shoving debris, including golf balls and rubber tyres, into the leaking wellhead, a manoeuvre known as the \"junk shot\". They also ready a \"top hat\" - a metal dome - to be placed over the leak.\nMeanwhile, BP reveals the oil spill has cost the company $350m (£233m) so far.\nBP 'may stem oil with golf balls'\n, external\n8 May\nBP's effort to place a giant metal box atop the leaking well to contain the spill fails when ice crystals accumulate inside the box and engineers are forced to remove it.\nMeanwhile, officials revise the estimate of the leak's rate upward to 5,000 barrels per day.\nSetback in US oil containment bid\n, external\n2 May\nPresident Obama makes his first trip to the Gulf Coast and says BP is responsible for the leak and for paying for its clean-up.\n\"We're dealing with a massive and potentially unprecedented environmental disaster,\" he says.\n\"The oil that is still leaking from the well could seriously damage the economy and the environment of our Gulf states. And it could extend for a long time. It could jeopardise the livelihoods of thousands of Americans who call this place home.\"\nObama's sombre oil leak prognosis\n, external\n30 April\nOil from the leaking well begins washing ashore in Louisiana. Soon fragile coastal wetlands are inundated with thick, brown mud.\nPresident Barack Obama's administration bans oil drilling in new areas off the US coast pending investigations into the cause of the BP spill. Before the spill, Mr Obama had said he would allow new offshore drilling.\nOil 'reaches' coast in US spill\n, external\n29 April\nThe US Coast Guard sets fire to patches of spilled oil in an effort to prevent the slick from reaching the vulnerable Louisiana coastal wetlands.\nPresident Barack Obama pledges \"every single available resource\", including the military, to help in the response effort.\nUS sets fire to oil slick in Gulf\n, external\n28 April\n26 April\nIn a reverse, officials reveal the well is leaking an estimated 1,000 barrels of oil per day and warn of environmental disaster.\nMeanwhile, BP sends undersea robots to the wellhead in an unsuccessful effort to activate the blowout preventer, a piece of heavy kit mounted on top of the well to stem the flow of oil.\nEnvironmental fears over US spill\n, external\n23 April\n22 April\nThe Deepwater Horizon sinks to the bottom of the Gulf after burning for 36 hours, raising concerns of a catastrophic oil spill.\nA Coast Guard official says the Macondo well, which the rig had been drilling, could be releasing up to 8,000 barrels of oil per day.\n20 April\nAn explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, 52 miles (84km) south-east of Venice, Louisiana, kills 11 workers. Operator Transocean, under contract for BP, says it had no warning of trouble ahead of the blast.\nThe rig was drilling in about 5,000ft (1,525m) of water, pushing the boundaries of deepwater drilling technology.","attrs_markdown":"[BBC Homepage](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/)\n\n- [Skip to content](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-10656239#main-heading)\n- [Accessibility Help](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/accessibility\/)\n\n- [Sign in](https:\/\/session.bbc.com\/session?lang=en-GB&ptrt=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Fworld-us-canada-10656239&sequenceId=18cfda81-a0eb-4629-b8e4-ba2b06a8b274)\n\n- [Home](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/)\n- [News](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news)\n- [Sport](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/sport)\n- [Business](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/business)\n- [Innovation](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/innovation)\n- [Culture](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/culture)\n- [Travel](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel)\n- [Earth](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/future-planet)\n- [Audio](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/audio)\n- [Video](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/video)\n- [Live](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/live)\n- [More menu](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-10656239#global-navigation-more-menu)\n\n[More menu](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-10656239#global-navigation-more-menu)\n\n[Search BBC](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/search?d=NEWS_PS)\n\n- [Home](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/)\n- [News](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news)\n- [Sport](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/sport)\n- [Business](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/business)\n- [Innovation](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/innovation)\n- [Culture](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/culture)\n- [Travel](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel)\n- [Earth](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/future-planet)\n- [Audio](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/audio)\n- [Video](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/video)\n- [Live](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/live)\n\nClose menu\n\n[BBC News](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news)\n\n[Menu](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-10656239#product-navigation-menu)\n\n- [Home](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news)\n- [UK](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/uk)\n- [World](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world)\n- [Business](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/business)\n- [Culture](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/entertainment_and_arts)\n- [Politics](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/politics)\n- [Health](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/health)\n- [Tech](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/technology)\n- [InDepth](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/bbcindepth)\n- [BBC Verify](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/bbcverify)\n- [Climate](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/topics\/cmj34zmwm1zt)\n\n[More](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-10656239#product-navigation-more-menu)\n\n- [Science](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/science_and_environment)\n- [Family & Education](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/education)\n- [In Pictures](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/in_pictures)\n- [Disability](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/disability)\n- [Newsbeat](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/newsbeat)\n\n- [World](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world)\n- [Africa](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world\/africa)\n- [Asia](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world\/asia)\n- [Australia](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world\/australia)\n- [Europe](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world\/europe)\n- [Latin America](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world\/latin_america)\n- [Middle East](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world\/middle_east)\n- [US & Canada](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world\/us_and_canada)\n\n# Timeline: BP oil spill\nShare\n\nclose panel\n\nShare page\n\nCopy link\n\n[About sharing](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/usingthebbc\/terms\/can-i-share-things-from-the-bbc)\n\n**On 20 April, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 workers and causing an oil spill that soon became the worst environmental disaster in US history.**\n\n**Here is a chronology of events in the months since, as BP has struggled to stem the leak and oil has washed ashore along the Gulf Coast, from the fragile Louisiana wetlands to the white sand beaches of Florida.**\n## 19 September\nThe ruptured well is finally sealed and \"effectively dead\", says the top US federal official overseeing the disaster, Coast Guard Adm Thad Allen.\n\n## 17 September\nBP pumps cement to seal the damaged well after it was intercepted by a relief well.\n\n## 8 September\nIn its own internal report into the Gulf of Mexico oil spill - the first to be published since the disaster - BP spreads the blame for the 11 April explosion and resulting leak.\n\nIn a [193-page report, external](http:\/\/www.bp.com\/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9034902&contentId=7064891) BP accepts responsibility in part for the disaster, but also blames other companies working on the well.\n\n['Many failures' caused BP spill](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-11225623)\n## 5 September\nThad Allen, the US coastguard official overseeing the clean-up operation, says the BP oil well at the centre of the leak poses \"no further risk\" to the environment, despite the final stages of an operation to pump concrete into a relief well remaining unfinished.\n\n[BP well 'poses no further risk'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/11190710)\n## 3 September\nThe blowout preventer that failed to stop the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig is removed from the stricken Gulf of Mexico oil well by BP. The 300-ton device will be examined as part of the inquiry into the leak of 206m gallons of oil into the Gulf.\n\nMeanwhile, the cost of the oil spill has risen to \\$8bn (£5.2bn), BP says - a rise of some \\$2bn in the past month alone.\n\n[BP blowout preventer 'removed'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-11185296)\n## 19 August\nA study published in a leading scientific journal confirms the presence of a toxic chemical residue one kilometre below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, but says it amounts to just 0.1% of the total amount spilled.\n\n[Oil leak leaves undersea residue](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/science-environment-11028622)\n## 16 August\nThe US announces that future applications for deepwater offshore drilling will require an environmental assessment, ending a practice that allowed BP's Deepwater Horizon rig to drill with little scrutiny.\n\nThe White House said decision-making must be \"fully informed\" by knowledge of any potential environmental consequences.\n\n[US to require oil drilling review](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-10992922)\n## 9 August\nBP announces that the total cost to it of the oil spill so far has reached \\$6.1bn (£3.8bn). The total includes the cost of the spill response, containment, relief well drilling, and cementing up of the damaged well.\n\nIt also includes grants to the Gulf states hit by the spill and \\$319m paid out in compensation to some of those affected by the spill.\n\n[BP oil spill costs pass \\$6bn mark](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/business-10910612)\n\n[BP deposits \\$3bn in relief fund](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-10917007)\n## 4 August\nThe US government says three-quarters of the oil spilled in the Gulf has been cleaned up or broken down by natural forces.\n\nMeanwhile, BP reports \"encouraging\" progress with the \"static kill\" operation to plug the well with mud and seal it with cement.\n\n[Majority of BP spill 'dealt with'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-10867731)\n\n[BP says 'static kill' successful](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-10862893)\n## 3 August\nThe US government says the oil spill is officially the biggest leak ever, with 4.9 million barrels of oil leaked before the well was capped last month. Scientists said only a fifth of the leaking oil - around 800,000 barrels - was captured during the clean-up operation.\n\n[BP gears up to halt 'worst spill'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-10849023)\n## 2 August\nThe US Environmental Protection Agency says in a study the dispersant used after the spill is no more toxic than oil alone. There had been concerns raised by congressional investigators that dispersant may have been more widely used than the government ordered.\n\n[Oil dispersant 'not more toxic'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-10846968)\n## 28 July\nUS scientists say the oil from the well has cleared from the sea surface faster than expected, 100 days after the disaster began.\n\n[Surface Gulf oil 'vanishing fast'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-10791343)\n## 27 July\n![BP chief executive Tony Hayward](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/304\/mcs\/media\/images\/48499000\/jpg\/_48499443_009864345-1.jpg)\n\nImage caption,\n\nMr Hayward will leave his post by October\n\nBP confirms that chief executive Tony Hayward will leave his post by mutual agreement in October, but he is likely to retain a position in the company. BP plans to nominate him as a non-executive director of its Russian joint venture, TNK-BP.\n\nMr Hayward's American colleague, Bob Dudley, who has taken charge of the clean-up operation, will replace him.\n\nMeanwhile, the oil giant's second quarter earnings are published, showing losses of \\$17bn for the three months between April and June - a UK record.\n\nThe company says it has set aside \\$32.2bn (£20.8bn) to cover the costs linked to the Gulf of Mexico spill.\n\n[BP puts oil spill cost at \\$32.2bn](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/business-10770252)\n## 26 July\nThe BBC reveals that 53-year old BP chief executive Tony Hayward will receive a year's salary plus benefits, together worth more than £1m, when he steps down. He will also be entitled to draw an annual pension of £600,000 once he reaches the age of 55.\n\n[BP boss Hayward 'to stand down'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/business-10757751)\n## 25 July\nShips involved in BP's effort to secure the blown-out oil well prepare to resume work after a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico weakened.\n\nCoast Guard chief Adm Thad Allen says the storm put back efforts to drill a relief well by seven to 10 days.\n\n[Oil spill vessels return to site](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-10751140)\n\nThe BBC learns that BP's chief executive Tony Hayward, who has faced widespread criticism over his handling of the spill, is negotiating the terms of his exit from his post.\n\n[BP boss Hayward 'negotiates exit'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/business-10753573)\n## 22 July\n![Development Driller II and III at the Deepwater Horizon site 22.7.10](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/304\/mcs\/media\/images\/48460000\/jpg\/_48460670_009849707-1.jpg)\n\nImage caption,\n\nThe rig drilling a relief well was ordered to leave the spill site ahead of Tropical Storm Bonnie\n\nDozens of vessels, including the rig drilling a relief well to permanently block the damaged well, are ordered to leave the site as Tropical Storm Bonnie approaches. BP warns that the final operation to plug the well could be delayed by up to two weeks by the storm.\n\nThe capped well is to remain unmonitored for several days.\n\nMeanwhile, BP says it has been given permission to prepare for a \"static kill\" - pumping mud into the top of the well through the new cap - a step viewed as an intermediate measure. The firm would need final approval from the US to carry it out.\n\n[Storm forces ships off spill site](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-10729485)\n## 19 July\nAdm Allen tells BP he is concerned about a \"detected seep\" on the sea floor near the well and other \"undetermined anomalies\". He said that if methane was found to be seeping from the sea floor, oil might also be leaking.\n\n[BP oil cap 'closed for extra day'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-10685152)\n## 15 July\nWith the new cap in place, BP says it has temporarily shut off the oil flow in order to test the integrity of the well.\n\nPresident Barack Obama hails \"a positive sign\".\n\n[BP says oil has stopped leaking](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-10654584)\n## 14 July\nAdm Thad Allen says a relief well, which officials and BP have said is the only way permanently to plug the well, has come within 5ft (1.5m) of the leaking well bore.\n\n## 10 July\nBP begins a bid to place a tighter-fitting cap atop the leaking wellhead. The company warns that oil will flow freely while the caps are being exchanged, but says it has brought in 400 oil-skimming ships to deal with the increased flow.\n\n## 6 July\nOil from the spill reaches Texas, meaning it has affected all five US Gulf Coast states.\n\nBut officials said it was unclear if the oil had drifted hundreds of kilometres from the leak site to the Texas shore, or had fallen from ships taking part in the clean-up operation.\n\n[Gulf oil leak tar balls hit Texas](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/10520458)\n## 5 July\nBP says the oil spill response has cost the company \\$3.12bn (£2bn), including the cost of containing the spill and cleaning up the oil, and the cost of drilling relief wells. The figure also includes \\$147m paid out in compensation to some of those affected by the spill.\n\n[BP oil spill costs pass \\$3bn mark](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/10505423)\n## 22 June\n![Fisherman Tom Huynh](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/304\/mcs\/media\/images\/48379000\/jpg\/_48379248_bdofb69b.jpg)\n\nImage caption,\n\nMany fishermen put out of work by the oil spill have taken jobs in the clean-up effort\n\nA federal judge blocks the Obama administration's six-month moratorium on deepwater oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, saying the ban cannot be justified.\n\nThe administration quickly issues another moratorium with revised terms.\n\nMeanwhile, BP hands day-to-day control of the response to Bob Dudley, replacing Chief Executive Tony Hayward, who had been widely criticised for his insensitive remarks on the spill.\n\n[US Gulf oil drilling ban blocked](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/10377836)\n## 18 June\nBP chief executive Tony Hayward receives a tongue-lashing at a hearing in the US Congress.\n\nHenry Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, says BP's \"complacency\" before the 20 April rig explosion was \"astonishing\".\n\n[Congress turns scorn on BP chief](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/10337146)\n## 17 June\nBP announces it will place \\$20bn in a fund to compensate victims of the oil spill and says it will not pay a shareholder dividend this year.\n\n## 15 June\nPresident Obama addresses the nation from the Oval Office, vowing, \"We will make BP pay for the damage their company has caused.\"\n\n[Oil spill: Obama to 'make BP pay'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/10325271)\n## 14 June\nPresident Obama makes a fourth trip to the gulf.\n\n## 12 June\nResponding to complaints in the British media of an anti-British tone to his remarks, President Barack Obama tells UK Prime Minister David Cameron that his criticism of BP has nothing to do with national identity.\n\n[Obama defends US criticism of BP](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/10300082)\n## 10 June\nThe US Geological Survey estimates the oil flow at as many as 40,000 barrels per day before a cap was put on the well on 3 June. BP announces it is collecting 15,800 barrels per day from the well.\n\n[BP spill 'double early estimates'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/10290238)\n\n[Q\\&A: Scale of BP oil spill](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/10293952)\n## 8 June\n![A Whale](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/304\/mcs\/media\/images\/48379000\/jpg\/_48379247_zdq66urs.jpg)\n\nImage caption,\n\nSkimmers, including the giant \"A Whale\", are cleaning oil from the surface\n\nAdm Thad Allen, the commander of the US response, says clean-up of the oil-stricken Gulf could take years.\n\nMeanwhile, President Obama says he has been consulting with experts so he can learn \"whose ass to kick\" in the matter.\n\nThe US government says underwater oil plumes have travelled as far as 40 miles from the site of the leaking well.\n\n[US oil clean-up 'will take years'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/10258612)\n\n[Underwater oil plumes 'spreading'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/10268142)\n## 4 June\nBP places a cap, called the \"lower marine riser package\", atop the leaking wellhead. The cap allows the company to pipe much of the oil and gas leaking from the well to ships on the surface.\n\nPresident Obama takes a third trip to the region.\n\n[BP begins to funnel off oil spill](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/10239897)\n## 2 June\nThe US announces a criminal inquiry into the BP oil spill.\n\n[US begins criminal probe of spill](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/10211217)\n## 30 May\nCarol Browner, President Barack Obama's adviser on energy policy, says the spill is the worst environmental disaster in US history, worse even than the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska.\n\n[Spill 'is worst US eco-disaster'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/10194335)\n## 28 May\nObama visits the Gulf Coast again and declares \"the buck stops with me\".\n\n## 26 May\nBP prepares to plug the leaking well with heavy drilling mud, a procedure called a \"top kill\". The attempt is declared a failure three days later.\n\n[What is a 'top kill'?](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/10159626)\n## 19 May\nOceanographers say oil from the leak has entered an ocean current - the \"loop current\" - that could carry it towards Florida and potentially up the US east coast.\n\n[Gulf oil 'reaches major current'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/10127904)\n## 14 May\n![A pelican covered in oil](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/304\/mcs\/media\/images\/48379000\/gif\/_48379343_c3qmbhmz.gif)\n\nImage caption,\n\nPelicans are among the wildlife harmed by the oil\n\nResearchers who have analysed underwater video from the leak site estimate as many as 70,000 barrels of oil are leaking into the Gulf per day, with a margin of error of plus or minus 20%, significantly higher than earlier estimates.\n\nBP tries to thread a tube into the broken wellhead in an effort to collect some of the leaking oil in surface ships.\n\nMeanwhile, President Obama condemns the \"ridiculous spectacle\" of the companies trading blame while oil spews from the well.\n\n[Fresh BP effort to stop oil leak, external](http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/1\/hi\/world\/americas\/8683063.stm)\n## 11 May\nAt a series of congressional hearings, BP, Transocean and Halliburton, the three companies involved in the Deepwater Horizon drilling operations, all blame each other for the disaster.\n\n## 10 May\nBP officials weigh shoving debris, including golf balls and rubber tyres, into the leaking wellhead, a manoeuvre known as the \"junk shot\". They also ready a \"top hat\" - a metal dome - to be placed over the leak.\n\nMeanwhile, BP reveals the oil spill has cost the company \\$350m (£233m) so far.\n\n[BP 'may stem oil with golf balls', external](http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/1\/hi\/world\/americas\/8672181.stm)\n## 8 May\nBP's effort to place a giant metal box atop the leaking well to contain the spill fails when ice crystals accumulate inside the box and engineers are forced to remove it.\n\nMeanwhile, officials revise the estimate of the leak's rate upward to 5,000 barrels per day.\n\n[Setback in US oil containment bid, external](http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/1\/hi\/world\/americas\/8670501.stm)\n## 2 May\nPresident Obama makes his first trip to the Gulf Coast and says BP is responsible for the leak and for paying for its clean-up.\n\n\"We're dealing with a massive and potentially unprecedented environmental disaster,\" he says.\n\n\"The oil that is still leaking from the well could seriously damage the economy and the environment of our Gulf states. And it could extend for a long time. It could jeopardise the livelihoods of thousands of Americans who call this place home.\"\n\n[Obama's sombre oil leak prognosis, external](http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/1\/hi\/world\/americas\/8657100.stm)\n## 30 April\nOil from the leaking well begins washing ashore in Louisiana. Soon fragile coastal wetlands are inundated with thick, brown mud.\n\nPresident Barack Obama's administration bans oil drilling in new areas off the US coast pending investigations into the cause of the BP spill. Before the spill, Mr Obama had said he would allow new offshore drilling.\n\n[Oil 'reaches' coast in US spill, external](http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/1\/hi\/world\/americas\/8653162.stm)\n## 29 April\nThe US Coast Guard sets fire to patches of spilled oil in an effort to prevent the slick from reaching the vulnerable Louisiana coastal wetlands.\n\nPresident Barack Obama pledges \"every single available resource\", including the military, to help in the response effort.\n\n[US sets fire to oil slick in Gulf, external](http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/1\/hi\/world\/americas\/8649862.stm)\n## 28 April\nThe US Coast Guard warns the oil leak could become the worst oil spill in US history.\n\n[Growing concerns over US oil leak, external](http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/1\/hi\/world\/americas\/8648004.stm)\n## 26 April\nIn a reverse, officials reveal the well is leaking an estimated 1,000 barrels of oil per day and warn of environmental disaster.\n\nMeanwhile, BP sends undersea robots to the wellhead in an unsuccessful effort to activate the blowout preventer, a piece of heavy kit mounted on top of the well to stem the flow of oil.\n\n[Environmental fears over US spill, external](http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/1\/hi\/world\/americas\/8642518.stm)\n## 23 April\nThe Coast Guard says it had no indication that oil was leaking from the well 5,000ft below the surface of the Gulf.\n\n[US fears ease over oil rig spill, external](http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/1\/hi\/world\/americas\/8639857.stm)\n## 22 April\nThe Deepwater Horizon sinks to the bottom of the Gulf after burning for 36 hours, raising concerns of a catastrophic oil spill.\n\nA Coast Guard official says the Macondo well, which the rig had been drilling, could be releasing up to 8,000 barrels of oil per day.\n## 20 April\nAn explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, 52 miles (84km) south-east of Venice, Louisiana, kills 11 workers. Operator Transocean, under contract for BP, says it had no warning of trouble ahead of the blast.\n\nThe rig was drilling in about 5,000ft (1,525m) of water, pushing the boundaries of deepwater drilling technology.\n\n## Top stories\n- [Live. Trump lashes out at Nato allies saying US 'no longer needs' help with Iran war](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/live\/cx2lr40g17kt)\n- [Top US counterterrorism official resigns over Iran war, urging Trump to 'reverse course'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cg4g66r3z40o)\n- [Watch: Iranians show daily life under air strikes and regime crackdown](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/videos\/cgk2lk86y3mo)\n\n## More to explore\n- [Scotland is about to vote on assisted dying. How would it work?](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c8jg9kgz209o)\n  \n  ![A group of protesters hold colourful pro-assisted dying signs](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/385\/cpsprodpb\/0975\/live\/a7043840-30b9-11f0-96c3-cf669419a2b0.jpg)\n- [What are the symptoms of meningitis and is there a vaccine?](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c7432klgyldo)\n  \n  ![Two emergency ambulance vehicles are parked outside a red sign reading 'Accident & Emergency' at the A\\&E ward at St Thomas' Hospital in London in 2015.](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/385\/cpsprodpb\/272f\/live\/77b9b680-2200-11f1-934f-036468834728.jpg)\n- [Scammed out of £17k, one woman flew across UK to confront suspect](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c1kgx0xppzeo)\n  \n  ![Rhonda Montgomery has blonde hair stands to the left, looking into the distance at the right hand side of the camera. She is wearing a light pink top and matching 'Prada' framed glasses, which have a leopard print rim. Behind her is a wooded grassy area by some water, which is out of focus. ](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/385\/cpsprodpb\/a059\/live\/f01c1550-1ecc-11f1-84c5-132fa5d854db.jpg)\n- ['Many people fooled' by AI wedding pics, says Zendaya](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/clyz7llp4k2o)\n  \n  ![An AI created image of Zendaya and Tom Holland getting married](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/385\/cpsprodpb\/9161\/live\/cd79ea20-2216-11f1-b297-95b0a0a8331e.jpg)\n- [Len Deighton obituary: How a cookery cartoonist became a master spy writer](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cervgrvekxzo)\n  \n  ![Len Deighton is seen staring into camera. He is leaning on the roof of a black London tax with his elbow and has his hand on his head.](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/385\/cpsprodpb\/00e5\/live\/d185b9c0-7437-11ef-bc2c-0b6ef9bee4c0.jpg)\n- [I watched my dad stab my mum to death - but then had to move back in with him](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cvg3e70pnpeo)\n  \n  ![A selfie of Gemma. She has dark hair with a fringe, and wears a nose ring. It is a head and shoulders shot but the back of a pink sofa can be seen behind her with a green wall in the background. ](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/385\/cpsprodpb\/c88b\/live\/dcbca130-2117-11f1-ac51-03f49875b3d3.jpg)\n- [Is it possible to build a plastic-free home?](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cy4wemk4dzvo)\n  \n  ![Wearing sunglasses and holding her black dog, Erica Cirino sits on the wooden steps of her home. ](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/385\/cpsprodpb\/d622\/live\/5089a2a0-0e3c-11f1-9972-d3f265c101c6.jpg)\n- [Prince William joins Greg James on Comic Relief bike ride](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c3rzgg8wp52o)\n  \n  ![Prince William and Greg James ride on a tandem bike together against a backdrop of a green field and sunny sky, in Yorkshire on 17 March.](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/385\/cpsprodpb\/7fd3\/live\/bedb94d0-2222-11f1-934f-036468834728.jpg)\n- [The Upbeat newsletter: Start your week on a high with uplifting stories delivered to your inbox](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/newsletters\/zyxfdnb)\n  \n  ![The logo for the Upbeat newsletter. It consists of four abstract style waves - yellow orange and a darker orange and pink.](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/385\/cpsprodpb\/8b25\/live\/a1c69c50-df24-11f0-aae2-2191c0e48a3b.png)\n\n## Elsewhere on the BBC\n- [Harry Styles is back with a Live Lounge special](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/iplayer\/episode\/p0n363ls?at_mid=EuTlw5tWmA&at_campaign=Radio_1s_Live_Lounge_Harry_Styles_2026&at_medium=display_ad&at_campaign_type=owned&at_nation=NET&at_audience_id=SS&at_product=iplayer&at_brand=p01029mq&at_ptr_name=bbc&at_ptr_type=media&at_format=image&at_objective=consumption&at_link_title=Radio_1s_Live_Lounge_Harry_Styles_2026&at_bbc_team=BBC)\n  \n  - Attribution\n    [iPlayer](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/iplayer)\n  \n  Watchlist Add Radio 1's Live Lounge to your Watchlist in iPlayer\n  \n  Watchlist\n  \n  Adding\n  \n  Watchlist\n  \n  Remove\n  \n  Removing\n  \n  close panel\n  \n  Added to Watchlist\n  \n  Radio 1's Live Lounge has been added to your [iPlayer Watchlist](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/iplayer\/watchlist).\n  \n  ![Radio 1's Live Lounge: Harry Styles](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/480\/cpsprodpb\/3394\/live\/d990e150-1e25-11f1-801d-ed3cff6bf876.jpg)\n- [What keeps the Universe in chemical equilibrium?](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/sounds\/play\/w3ct6sv4?at_mid=5aNX84KBBI&at_campaign=CrowdScience_What_keeps_the_universe_in_balance&at_medium=display_ad&at_campaign_type=owned&at_nation=NET&at_audience_id=SS&at_product=sounds&at_brand=p04d42rc&at_ptr_name=bbc&at_ptr_type=media&at_format=image&at_objective=consumption&at_link_title=CrowdScience_What_keeps_the_universe_in_balance&at_bbc_team=BBC)\n  \n  - Attribution\n    [Sounds](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sounds)\n  \n  Subscribe Add CrowdScience to My Sounds\n  \n  Subscribe\n  \n  Subscribing\n  \n  Subscribed\n  \n  Unsubscribe\n  \n  Removing\n  \n  close panel\n  \n  Added to My Sounds\n  \n  CrowdScience has been added to your [My Sounds](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sounds\/my\/subscribed).\n  \n  ![](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/480x270\/p0kxn90n.jpg)\n- [Ryan Gosling shares his Unpopular Opinion with Greg James](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/iplayer\/episode\/p0n5pbg8?at_mid=qVqmWmqGdk&at_campaign=Unpopular_Opinion_Ryan_Gosling&at_medium=display_ad&at_campaign_type=owned&at_nation=NET&at_audience_id=SS&at_product=iplayer&at_brand=p086sxq7&at_ptr_name=bbc&at_ptr_type=media&at_format=image&at_objective=consumption&at_link_title=Unpopular_Opinion_Ryan_Gosling&at_bbc_team=BBC)\n  \n  - Attribution\n    [iPlayer](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/iplayer)\n  \n  Watchlist Add Unpopular Opinion to your Watchlist in iPlayer\n  \n  Watchlist\n  \n  Adding\n  \n  Watchlist\n  \n  Remove\n  \n  Removing\n  \n  close panel\n  \n  Added to Watchlist\n  \n  Unpopular Opinion has been added to your [iPlayer Watchlist](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/iplayer\/watchlist).\n  \n  ![Unpopular Opinion: Ryan Gosling](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/480\/cpsprodpb\/9b51\/live\/7583e5a0-214e-11f1-b297-95b0a0a8331e.jpg)\n- [Did Nancy Mitford's writing disguise her deeper ruthlessness?](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/sounds\/play\/p0n5sflj?at_mid=wtBcJ5CL82&at_campaign=Evil_Genius_with_Russell_Kane_Nancy_Mitford&at_medium=display_ad&at_campaign_type=owned&at_nation=NET&at_audience_id=SS&at_product=sounds&at_brand=p0605sx6&at_ptr_name=bbc&at_ptr_type=media&at_format=image&at_objective=consumption&at_link_title=Evil_Genius_with_Russell_Kane_Nancy_Mitford&at_bbc_team=BBC)\n  \n  - Attribution\n    [Sounds](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sounds)\n  \n  Subscribe Add Evil Genius with Russell Kane to My Sounds\n  \n  Subscribe\n  \n  Subscribing\n  \n  Subscribed\n  \n  Unsubscribe\n  \n  Removing\n  \n  close panel\n  \n  Added to My Sounds\n  \n  Evil Genius with Russell Kane has been added to your [My Sounds](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sounds\/my\/subscribed).\n  \n  ![Evil Genius with Russell Kane](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/480\/cpsprodpb\/18d5\/live\/40e55070-214b-11f1-934f-036468834728.jpg)\n\n## Most read\n1. 1\n   \n   [Man dead in wheelie bin was a 'pillar of strength'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c7vjv57evnro)\n2. 2\n   \n   [Top US counterterrorism official resigns over Iran war, urging Trump to 'reverse course'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cg4g66r3z40o)\n3. 3\n   \n   [Prince William joins Greg James on Comic Relief bike ride](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c3rzgg8wp52o)\n4. 4\n   \n   [Why is MenB vaccine not given to teenagers in UK and should they be offered it?](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c3rzg0vg947o)\n5. 5\n   \n   ['Many people fooled' by AI wedding pics, says Zendaya](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/clyz7llp4k2o)\n6. 6\n   \n   [Family 'beyond devastated' after meningitis death](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cev7rl437epo)\n7. 7\n   \n   [Iran and Russia are 'brothers in hatred', Zelensky tells MPs](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c15xeyny73wo)\n8. 8\n   \n   [Dates confirmed for new driving test booking rules](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c79522r09qqo)\n9. 9\n   \n   [Scammed out of £17k, one woman flew across UK to confront suspect](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c1kgx0xppzeo)\n10. 10\n    \n    [My dad stabbed my mum to death - but then I had to move back in with him](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cvg3e70pnpeo)\n\n## BBC News Services\n- [On your mobile](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/10628994)\n- [On smart speakers](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/help-50068132)\n- [Get news alerts](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/10628323)\n- [Contact BBC News](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/20039682)\n\n## Best of the BBC\n- [Your weekly dose of Claudia‑powered joy](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/iplayer\/episode\/m002r6m3?at_mid=ostMeuKLj4&at_campaign=The_Claudia_Winkleman_Show_S1_E1&at_medium=display_ad&at_campaign_type=owned&at_nation=NET&at_audience_id=SS&at_product=iplayer&at_brand=m002r6lx&at_ptr_name=bbc&at_ptr_type=media&at_format=image&at_objective=consumption&at_link_title=The_Claudia_Winkleman_Show_S1_E1&at_bbc_team=BBC)\n  \n  - Attribution\n    iPlayer\n  \n  Watchlist Add The Claudia Winkleman Show to your Watchlist in iPlayer\n  \n  Watchlist\n  \n  Adding\n  \n  Watchlist\n  \n  Remove\n  \n  Removing\n  \n  close panel\n  \n  Added to Watchlist\n  \n  The Claudia Winkleman Show has been added to your [iPlayer Watchlist](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/iplayer\/watchlist).\n  \n  ![The Claudia Winkleman Show](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/480\/cpsprodpb\/4578\/live\/a2980d60-2120-11f1-9120-a910fc22c6ac.jpg)\n- [The making of one of Hollywood's most quotable films](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/sounds\/play\/w3ct7459?at_mid=I8Cl3KTXOr&at_campaign=Witness_History_Casablanca&at_medium=display_ad&at_campaign_type=owned&at_nation=NET&at_audience_id=SS&at_product=sounds&at_brand=p004t1hd&at_ptr_name=bbc&at_ptr_type=media&at_format=image&at_objective=consumption&at_link_title=Witness_History_Casablanca&at_bbc_team=BBC)\n  \n  - 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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. [Read about our approach to external linking.](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/editorialguidelines\/guidance\/feeds-and-links)","attrs_readable_markdown":"**On 20 April, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 workers and causing an oil spill that soon became the worst environmental disaster in US history.**\n\n**Here is a chronology of events in the months since, as BP has struggled to stem the leak and oil has washed ashore along the Gulf Coast, from the fragile Louisiana wetlands to the white sand beaches of Florida.**\n\n19 September\n\nThe ruptured well is finally sealed and \"effectively dead\", says the top US federal official overseeing the disaster, Coast Guard Adm Thad Allen.\n\n17 September\n\nBP pumps cement to seal the damaged well after it was intercepted by a relief well.\n\n8 September\n\nIn its own internal report into the Gulf of Mexico oil spill - the first to be published since the disaster - BP spreads the blame for the 11 April explosion and resulting leak.\n\nIn a [193-page report, external](http:\/\/www.bp.com\/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9034902&contentId=7064891) BP accepts responsibility in part for the disaster, but also blames other companies working on the well.\n\n['Many failures' caused BP spill](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-11225623)\n\n5 September\n\nThad Allen, the US coastguard official overseeing the clean-up operation, says the BP oil well at the centre of the leak poses \"no further risk\" to the environment, despite the final stages of an operation to pump concrete into a relief well remaining unfinished.\n\n[BP well 'poses no further risk'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/11190710)\n\n3 September\n\nThe blowout preventer that failed to stop the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig is removed from the stricken Gulf of Mexico oil well by BP. The 300-ton device will be examined as part of the inquiry into the leak of 206m gallons of oil into the Gulf.\n\nMeanwhile, the cost of the oil spill has risen to \\$8bn (£5.2bn), BP says - a rise of some \\$2bn in the past month alone.\n\n[BP blowout preventer 'removed'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-11185296)\n\n19 August\n\nA study published in a leading scientific journal confirms the presence of a toxic chemical residue one kilometre below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, but says it amounts to just 0.1% of the total amount spilled.\n\n[Oil leak leaves undersea residue](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/science-environment-11028622)\n\n16 August\n\nThe US announces that future applications for deepwater offshore drilling will require an environmental assessment, ending a practice that allowed BP's Deepwater Horizon rig to drill with little scrutiny.\n\nThe White House said decision-making must be \"fully informed\" by knowledge of any potential environmental consequences.\n\n[US to require oil drilling review](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-10992922)\n\n9 August\n\nBP announces that the total cost to it of the oil spill so far has reached \\$6.1bn (£3.8bn). The total includes the cost of the spill response, containment, relief well drilling, and cementing up of the damaged well.\n\nIt also includes grants to the Gulf states hit by the spill and \\$319m paid out in compensation to some of those affected by the spill.\n\n[BP oil spill costs pass \\$6bn mark](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/business-10910612)\n\n[BP deposits \\$3bn in relief fund](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-10917007)\n\n4 August\n\n3 August\n\nThe US government says the oil spill is officially the biggest leak ever, with 4.9 million barrels of oil leaked before the well was capped last month. Scientists said only a fifth of the leaking oil - around 800,000 barrels - was captured during the clean-up operation.\n\n[BP gears up to halt 'worst spill'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-10849023)\n\n2 August\n\nThe US Environmental Protection Agency says in a study the dispersant used after the spill is no more toxic than oil alone. There had been concerns raised by congressional investigators that dispersant may have been more widely used than the government ordered.\n\n[Oil dispersant 'not more toxic'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-10846968)\n\n28 July\n\n27 July\n\n![BP chief executive Tony Hayward](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/304\/mcs\/media\/images\/48499000\/jpg\/_48499443_009864345-1.jpg)\n\nImage caption,\n\nMr Hayward will leave his post by October\n\nBP confirms that chief executive Tony Hayward will leave his post by mutual agreement in October, but he is likely to retain a position in the company. BP plans to nominate him as a non-executive director of its Russian joint venture, TNK-BP.\n\nMr Hayward's American colleague, Bob Dudley, who has taken charge of the clean-up operation, will replace him.\n\nMeanwhile, the oil giant's second quarter earnings are published, showing losses of \\$17bn for the three months between April and June - a UK record.\n\nThe company says it has set aside \\$32.2bn (£20.8bn) to cover the costs linked to the Gulf of Mexico spill.\n\n[BP puts oil spill cost at \\$32.2bn](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/business-10770252)\n\n26 July\n\nThe BBC reveals that 53-year old BP chief executive Tony Hayward will receive a year's salary plus benefits, together worth more than £1m, when he steps down. He will also be entitled to draw an annual pension of £600,000 once he reaches the age of 55.\n\n[BP boss Hayward 'to stand down'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/business-10757751)\n\n25 July\n\nShips involved in BP's effort to secure the blown-out oil well prepare to resume work after a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico weakened.\n\nCoast Guard chief Adm Thad Allen says the storm put back efforts to drill a relief well by seven to 10 days.\n\n[Oil spill vessels return to site](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-10751140)\n\nThe BBC learns that BP's chief executive Tony Hayward, who has faced widespread criticism over his handling of the spill, is negotiating the terms of his exit from his post.\n\n[BP boss Hayward 'negotiates exit'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/business-10753573)\n\n22 July\n\n![Development Driller II and III at the Deepwater Horizon site 22.7.10](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/304\/mcs\/media\/images\/48460000\/jpg\/_48460670_009849707-1.jpg)\n\nImage caption,\n\nThe rig drilling a relief well was ordered to leave the spill site ahead of Tropical Storm Bonnie\n\nDozens of vessels, including the rig drilling a relief well to permanently block the damaged well, are ordered to leave the site as Tropical Storm Bonnie approaches. BP warns that the final operation to plug the well could be delayed by up to two weeks by the storm.\n\nThe capped well is to remain unmonitored for several days.\n\nMeanwhile, BP says it has been given permission to prepare for a \"static kill\" - pumping mud into the top of the well through the new cap - a step viewed as an intermediate measure. The firm would need final approval from the US to carry it out.\n\n[Storm forces ships off spill site](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-10729485)\n\n19 July\n\nAdm Allen tells BP he is concerned about a \"detected seep\" on the sea floor near the well and other \"undetermined anomalies\". He said that if methane was found to be seeping from the sea floor, oil might also be leaking.\n\n[BP oil cap 'closed for extra day'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-10685152)\n\n15 July\n\nWith the new cap in place, BP says it has temporarily shut off the oil flow in order to test the integrity of the well.\n\nPresident Barack Obama hails \"a positive sign\".\n\n[BP says oil has stopped leaking](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-10654584)\n\n14 July\n\nAdm Thad Allen says a relief well, which officials and BP have said is the only way permanently to plug the well, has come within 5ft (1.5m) of the leaking well bore.\n\n10 July\n\nBP begins a bid to place a tighter-fitting cap atop the leaking wellhead. The company warns that oil will flow freely while the caps are being exchanged, but says it has brought in 400 oil-skimming ships to deal with the increased flow.\n\n6 July\n\nOil from the spill reaches Texas, meaning it has affected all five US Gulf Coast states.\n\nBut officials said it was unclear if the oil had drifted hundreds of kilometres from the leak site to the Texas shore, or had fallen from ships taking part in the clean-up operation.\n\n[Gulf oil leak tar balls hit Texas](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/10520458)\n\n5 July\n\nBP says the oil spill response has cost the company \\$3.12bn (£2bn), including the cost of containing the spill and cleaning up the oil, and the cost of drilling relief wells. The figure also includes \\$147m paid out in compensation to some of those affected by the spill.\n\n[BP oil spill costs pass \\$3bn mark](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/10505423)\n\n22 June\n\n![Fisherman Tom Huynh](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/304\/mcs\/media\/images\/48379000\/jpg\/_48379248_bdofb69b.jpg)\n\nImage caption,\n\nMany fishermen put out of work by the oil spill have taken jobs in the clean-up effort\n\nA federal judge blocks the Obama administration's six-month moratorium on deepwater oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, saying the ban cannot be justified.\n\nThe administration quickly issues another moratorium with revised terms.\n\nMeanwhile, BP hands day-to-day control of the response to Bob Dudley, replacing Chief Executive Tony Hayward, who had been widely criticised for his insensitive remarks on the spill.\n\n[US Gulf oil drilling ban blocked](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/10377836)\n\n18 June\n\nBP chief executive Tony Hayward receives a tongue-lashing at a hearing in the US Congress.\n\nHenry Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, says BP's \"complacency\" before the 20 April rig explosion was \"astonishing\".\n\n[Congress turns scorn on BP chief](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/10337146)\n\n17 June\n\nBP announces it will place \\$20bn in a fund to compensate victims of the oil spill and says it will not pay a shareholder dividend this year.\n\n15 June\n\n14 June\n\nPresident Obama makes a fourth trip to the gulf.\n\n12 June\n\nResponding to complaints in the British media of an anti-British tone to his remarks, President Barack Obama tells UK Prime Minister David Cameron that his criticism of BP has nothing to do with national identity.\n\n[Obama defends US criticism of BP](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/10300082)\n\n10 June\n\n8 June\n\n![A Whale](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/304\/mcs\/media\/images\/48379000\/jpg\/_48379247_zdq66urs.jpg)\n\nImage caption,\n\nSkimmers, including the giant \"A Whale\", are cleaning oil from the surface\n\nAdm Thad Allen, the commander of the US response, says clean-up of the oil-stricken Gulf could take years.\n\nMeanwhile, President Obama says he has been consulting with experts so he can learn \"whose ass to kick\" in the matter.\n\nThe US government says underwater oil plumes have travelled as far as 40 miles from the site of the leaking well.\n\n[US oil clean-up 'will take years'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/10258612)\n\n[Underwater oil plumes 'spreading'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/10268142)\n\n4 June\n\nBP places a cap, called the \"lower marine riser package\", atop the leaking wellhead. The cap allows the company to pipe much of the oil and gas leaking from the well to ships on the surface.\n\nPresident Obama takes a third trip to the region.\n\n[BP begins to funnel off oil spill](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/10239897)\n\n2 June\n\n30 May\n\nCarol Browner, President Barack Obama's adviser on energy policy, says the spill is the worst environmental disaster in US history, worse even than the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska.\n\n[Spill 'is worst US eco-disaster'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/10194335)\n\n28 May\n\nObama visits the Gulf Coast again and declares \"the buck stops with me\".\n\n26 May\n\nBP prepares to plug the leaking well with heavy drilling mud, a procedure called a \"top kill\". The attempt is declared a failure three days later.\n\n[What is a 'top kill'?](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/10159626)\n\n19 May\n\nOceanographers say oil from the leak has entered an ocean current - the \"loop current\" - that could carry it towards Florida and potentially up the US east coast.\n\n[Gulf oil 'reaches major current'](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/10127904)\n\n14 May\n\n![A pelican covered in oil](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/304\/mcs\/media\/images\/48379000\/gif\/_48379343_c3qmbhmz.gif)\n\nImage caption,\n\nPelicans are among the wildlife harmed by the oil\n\nResearchers who have analysed underwater video from the leak site estimate as many as 70,000 barrels of oil are leaking into the Gulf per day, with a margin of error of plus or minus 20%, significantly higher than earlier estimates.\n\nBP tries to thread a tube into the broken wellhead in an effort to collect some of the leaking oil in surface ships.\n\nMeanwhile, President Obama condemns the \"ridiculous spectacle\" of the companies trading blame while oil spews from the well.\n\n[Fresh BP effort to stop oil leak, external](http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/1\/hi\/world\/americas\/8683063.stm)\n\n11 May\n\nAt a series of congressional hearings, BP, Transocean and Halliburton, the three companies involved in the Deepwater Horizon drilling operations, all blame each other for the disaster.\n\n10 May\n\nBP officials weigh shoving debris, including golf balls and rubber tyres, into the leaking wellhead, a manoeuvre known as the \"junk shot\". They also ready a \"top hat\" - a metal dome - to be placed over the leak.\n\nMeanwhile, BP reveals the oil spill has cost the company \\$350m (£233m) so far.\n\n[BP 'may stem oil with golf balls', external](http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/1\/hi\/world\/americas\/8672181.stm)\n\n8 May\n\nBP's effort to place a giant metal box atop the leaking well to contain the spill fails when ice crystals accumulate inside the box and engineers are forced to remove it.\n\nMeanwhile, officials revise the estimate of the leak's rate upward to 5,000 barrels per day.\n\n[Setback in US oil containment bid, external](http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/1\/hi\/world\/americas\/8670501.stm)\n\n2 May\n\nPresident Obama makes his first trip to the Gulf Coast and says BP is responsible for the leak and for paying for its clean-up.\n\n\"We're dealing with a massive and potentially unprecedented environmental disaster,\" he says.\n\n\"The oil that is still leaking from the well could seriously damage the economy and the environment of our Gulf states. And it could extend for a long time. It could jeopardise the livelihoods of thousands of Americans who call this place home.\"\n\n[Obama's sombre oil leak prognosis, external](http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/1\/hi\/world\/americas\/8657100.stm)\n\n30 April\n\nOil from the leaking well begins washing ashore in Louisiana. Soon fragile coastal wetlands are inundated with thick, brown mud.\n\nPresident Barack Obama's administration bans oil drilling in new areas off the US coast pending investigations into the cause of the BP spill. Before the spill, Mr Obama had said he would allow new offshore drilling.\n\n[Oil 'reaches' coast in US spill, external](http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/1\/hi\/world\/americas\/8653162.stm)\n\n29 April\n\nThe US Coast Guard sets fire to patches of spilled oil in an effort to prevent the slick from reaching the vulnerable Louisiana coastal wetlands.\n\nPresident Barack Obama pledges \"every single available resource\", including the military, to help in the response effort.\n\n[US sets fire to oil slick in Gulf, external](http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/1\/hi\/world\/americas\/8649862.stm)\n\n28 April\n\n26 April\n\nIn a reverse, officials reveal the well is leaking an estimated 1,000 barrels of oil per day and warn of environmental disaster.\n\nMeanwhile, BP sends undersea robots to the wellhead in an unsuccessful effort to activate the blowout preventer, a piece of heavy kit mounted on top of the well to stem the flow of oil.\n\n[Environmental fears over US spill, external](http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/1\/hi\/world\/americas\/8642518.stm)\n\n23 April\n\n22 April\n\nThe Deepwater Horizon sinks to the bottom of the Gulf after burning for 36 hours, raising concerns of a catastrophic oil spill.\n\nA Coast Guard official says the Macondo well, which the rig had been drilling, could be releasing up to 8,000 barrels of oil per day.\n\n20 April\n\nAn explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, 52 miles (84km) south-east of Venice, Louisiana, kills 11 workers. Operator Transocean, under contract for BP, says it had no warning of trouble ahead of the blast.\n\nThe rig was drilling in about 5,000ft (1,525m) of water, pushing the boundaries of deepwater drilling technology.","meta_canonical":null}

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Meta Title	Timeline: BP oil spill - BBC News
Meta Description	A timeline of events since the 20 April start of the BP oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico.
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Boilerpipe Text	On 20 April, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 workers and causing an oil spill that soon became the worst environmental disaster in US history. Here is a chronology of events in the months since, as BP has struggled to stem the leak and oil has washed ashore along the Gulf Coast, from the fragile Louisiana wetlands to the white sand beaches of Florida. 19 September The ruptured well is finally sealed and "effectively dead", says the top US federal official overseeing the disaster, Coast Guard Adm Thad Allen. 17 September BP pumps cement to seal the damaged well after it was intercepted by a relief well. 8 September In its own internal report into the Gulf of Mexico oil spill - the first to be published since the disaster - BP spreads the blame for the 11 April explosion and resulting leak. In a 193-page report , external BP accepts responsibility in part for the disaster, but also blames other companies working on the well. 'Many failures' caused BP spill 5 September Thad Allen, the US coastguard official overseeing the clean-up operation, says the BP oil well at the centre of the leak poses "no further risk" to the environment, despite the final stages of an operation to pump concrete into a relief well remaining unfinished. BP well 'poses no further risk' 3 September The blowout preventer that failed to stop the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig is removed from the stricken Gulf of Mexico oil well by BP. The 300-ton device will be examined as part of the inquiry into the leak of 206m gallons of oil into the Gulf. Meanwhile, the cost of the oil spill has risen to $8bn (£5.2bn), BP says - a rise of some $2bn in the past month alone. BP blowout preventer 'removed' 19 August A study published in a leading scientific journal confirms the presence of a toxic chemical residue one kilometre below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, but says it amounts to just 0.1% of the total amount spilled. Oil leak leaves undersea residue 16 August The US announces that future applications for deepwater offshore drilling will require an environmental assessment, ending a practice that allowed BP's Deepwater Horizon rig to drill with little scrutiny. The White House said decision-making must be "fully informed" by knowledge of any potential environmental consequences. US to require oil drilling review 9 August BP announces that the total cost to it of the oil spill so far has reached $6.1bn (£3.8bn). The total includes the cost of the spill response, containment, relief well drilling, and cementing up of the damaged well. It also includes grants to the Gulf states hit by the spill and $319m paid out in compensation to some of those affected by the spill. BP oil spill costs pass $6bn mark BP deposits $3bn in relief fund 4 August 3 August The US government says the oil spill is officially the biggest leak ever, with 4.9 million barrels of oil leaked before the well was capped last month. Scientists said only a fifth of the leaking oil - around 800,000 barrels - was captured during the clean-up operation. BP gears up to halt 'worst spill' 2 August The US Environmental Protection Agency says in a study the dispersant used after the spill is no more toxic than oil alone. There had been concerns raised by congressional investigators that dispersant may have been more widely used than the government ordered. Oil dispersant 'not more toxic' 28 July 27 July Image caption, Mr Hayward will leave his post by October BP confirms that chief executive Tony Hayward will leave his post by mutual agreement in October, but he is likely to retain a position in the company. BP plans to nominate him as a non-executive director of its Russian joint venture, TNK-BP. Mr Hayward's American colleague, Bob Dudley, who has taken charge of the clean-up operation, will replace him. Meanwhile, the oil giant's second quarter earnings are published, showing losses of $17bn for the three months between April and June - a UK record. The company says it has set aside $32.2bn (£20.8bn) to cover the costs linked to the Gulf of Mexico spill. BP puts oil spill cost at $32.2bn 26 July The BBC reveals that 53-year old BP chief executive Tony Hayward will receive a year's salary plus benefits, together worth more than £1m, when he steps down. He will also be entitled to draw an annual pension of £600,000 once he reaches the age of 55. BP boss Hayward 'to stand down' 25 July Ships involved in BP's effort to secure the blown-out oil well prepare to resume work after a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico weakened. Coast Guard chief Adm Thad Allen says the storm put back efforts to drill a relief well by seven to 10 days. Oil spill vessels return to site The BBC learns that BP's chief executive Tony Hayward, who has faced widespread criticism over his handling of the spill, is negotiating the terms of his exit from his post. BP boss Hayward 'negotiates exit' 22 July Image caption, The rig drilling a relief well was ordered to leave the spill site ahead of Tropical Storm Bonnie Dozens of vessels, including the rig drilling a relief well to permanently block the damaged well, are ordered to leave the site as Tropical Storm Bonnie approaches. BP warns that the final operation to plug the well could be delayed by up to two weeks by the storm. The capped well is to remain unmonitored for several days. Meanwhile, BP says it has been given permission to prepare for a "static kill" - pumping mud into the top of the well through the new cap - a step viewed as an intermediate measure. The firm would need final approval from the US to carry it out. Storm forces ships off spill site 19 July Adm Allen tells BP he is concerned about a "detected seep" on the sea floor near the well and other "undetermined anomalies". He said that if methane was found to be seeping from the sea floor, oil might also be leaking. BP oil cap 'closed for extra day' 15 July With the new cap in place, BP says it has temporarily shut off the oil flow in order to test the integrity of the well. President Barack Obama hails "a positive sign". BP says oil has stopped leaking 14 July Adm Thad Allen says a relief well, which officials and BP have said is the only way permanently to plug the well, has come within 5ft (1.5m) of the leaking well bore. 10 July BP begins a bid to place a tighter-fitting cap atop the leaking wellhead. The company warns that oil will flow freely while the caps are being exchanged, but says it has brought in 400 oil-skimming ships to deal with the increased flow. 6 July Oil from the spill reaches Texas, meaning it has affected all five US Gulf Coast states. But officials said it was unclear if the oil had drifted hundreds of kilometres from the leak site to the Texas shore, or had fallen from ships taking part in the clean-up operation. Gulf oil leak tar balls hit Texas 5 July BP says the oil spill response has cost the company $3.12bn (£2bn), including the cost of containing the spill and cleaning up the oil, and the cost of drilling relief wells. The figure also includes $147m paid out in compensation to some of those affected by the spill. BP oil spill costs pass $3bn mark 22 June Image caption, Many fishermen put out of work by the oil spill have taken jobs in the clean-up effort A federal judge blocks the Obama administration's six-month moratorium on deepwater oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, saying the ban cannot be justified. The administration quickly issues another moratorium with revised terms. Meanwhile, BP hands day-to-day control of the response to Bob Dudley, replacing Chief Executive Tony Hayward, who had been widely criticised for his insensitive remarks on the spill. US Gulf oil drilling ban blocked 18 June BP chief executive Tony Hayward receives a tongue-lashing at a hearing in the US Congress. Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, says BP's "complacency" before the 20 April rig explosion was "astonishing". Congress turns scorn on BP chief 17 June BP announces it will place $20bn in a fund to compensate victims of the oil spill and says it will not pay a shareholder dividend this year. 15 June 14 June President Obama makes a fourth trip to the gulf. 12 June Responding to complaints in the British media of an anti-British tone to his remarks, President Barack Obama tells UK Prime Minister David Cameron that his criticism of BP has nothing to do with national identity. Obama defends US criticism of BP 10 June 8 June Image caption, Skimmers, including the giant "A Whale", are cleaning oil from the surface Adm Thad Allen, the commander of the US response, says clean-up of the oil-stricken Gulf could take years. Meanwhile, President Obama says he has been consulting with experts so he can learn "whose ass to kick" in the matter. The US government says underwater oil plumes have travelled as far as 40 miles from the site of the leaking well. US oil clean-up 'will take years' Underwater oil plumes 'spreading' 4 June BP places a cap, called the "lower marine riser package", atop the leaking wellhead. The cap allows the company to pipe much of the oil and gas leaking from the well to ships on the surface. President Obama takes a third trip to the region. BP begins to funnel off oil spill 2 June 30 May Carol Browner, President Barack Obama's adviser on energy policy, says the spill is the worst environmental disaster in US history, worse even than the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska. Spill 'is worst US eco-disaster' 28 May Obama visits the Gulf Coast again and declares "the buck stops with me". 26 May BP prepares to plug the leaking well with heavy drilling mud, a procedure called a "top kill". The attempt is declared a failure three days later. What is a 'top kill'? 19 May Oceanographers say oil from the leak has entered an ocean current - the "loop current" - that could carry it towards Florida and potentially up the US east coast. Gulf oil 'reaches major current' 14 May Image caption, Pelicans are among the wildlife harmed by the oil Researchers who have analysed underwater video from the leak site estimate as many as 70,000 barrels of oil are leaking into the Gulf per day, with a margin of error of plus or minus 20%, significantly higher than earlier estimates. BP tries to thread a tube into the broken wellhead in an effort to collect some of the leaking oil in surface ships. Meanwhile, President Obama condemns the "ridiculous spectacle" of the companies trading blame while oil spews from the well. Fresh BP effort to stop oil leak , external 11 May At a series of congressional hearings, BP, Transocean and Halliburton, the three companies involved in the Deepwater Horizon drilling operations, all blame each other for the disaster. 10 May BP officials weigh shoving debris, including golf balls and rubber tyres, into the leaking wellhead, a manoeuvre known as the "junk shot". They also ready a "top hat" - a metal dome - to be placed over the leak. Meanwhile, BP reveals the oil spill has cost the company $350m (£233m) so far. BP 'may stem oil with golf balls' , external 8 May BP's effort to place a giant metal box atop the leaking well to contain the spill fails when ice crystals accumulate inside the box and engineers are forced to remove it. Meanwhile, officials revise the estimate of the leak's rate upward to 5,000 barrels per day. Setback in US oil containment bid , external 2 May President Obama makes his first trip to the Gulf Coast and says BP is responsible for the leak and for paying for its clean-up. "We're dealing with a massive and potentially unprecedented environmental disaster," he says. "The oil that is still leaking from the well could seriously damage the economy and the environment of our Gulf states. And it could extend for a long time. It could jeopardise the livelihoods of thousands of Americans who call this place home." Obama's sombre oil leak prognosis , external 30 April Oil from the leaking well begins washing ashore in Louisiana. Soon fragile coastal wetlands are inundated with thick, brown mud. President Barack Obama's administration bans oil drilling in new areas off the US coast pending investigations into the cause of the BP spill. Before the spill, Mr Obama had said he would allow new offshore drilling. Oil 'reaches' coast in US spill , external 29 April The US Coast Guard sets fire to patches of spilled oil in an effort to prevent the slick from reaching the vulnerable Louisiana coastal wetlands. President Barack Obama pledges "every single available resource", including the military, to help in the response effort. US sets fire to oil slick in Gulf , external 28 April 26 April In a reverse, officials reveal the well is leaking an estimated 1,000 barrels of oil per day and warn of environmental disaster. Meanwhile, BP sends undersea robots to the wellhead in an unsuccessful effort to activate the blowout preventer, a piece of heavy kit mounted on top of the well to stem the flow of oil. Environmental fears over US spill , external 23 April 22 April The Deepwater Horizon sinks to the bottom of the Gulf after burning for 36 hours, raising concerns of a catastrophic oil spill. A Coast Guard official says the Macondo well, which the rig had been drilling, could be releasing up to 8,000 barrels of oil per day. 20 April An explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, 52 miles (84km) south-east of Venice, Louisiana, kills 11 workers. Operator Transocean, under contract for BP, says it had no warning of trouble ahead of the blast. The rig was drilling in about 5,000ft (1,525m) of water, pushing the boundaries of deepwater drilling technology.
Markdown	[BBC Homepage](https://www.bbc.com/) - [Skip to content](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10656239#main-heading) - [Accessibility Help](https://www.bbc.co.uk/accessibility/) - [Sign in](https://session.bbc.com/session?lang=en-GB&ptrt=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Fworld-us-canada-10656239&sequenceId=18cfda81-a0eb-4629-b8e4-ba2b06a8b274) - [Home](https://www.bbc.com/) - [News](https://www.bbc.com/news) - [Sport](https://www.bbc.com/sport) - [Business](https://www.bbc.com/business) - [Innovation](https://www.bbc.com/innovation) - [Culture](https://www.bbc.com/culture) - [Travel](https://www.bbc.com/travel) - [Earth](https://www.bbc.com/future-planet) - [Audio](https://www.bbc.com/audio) - [Video](https://www.bbc.com/video) - [Live](https://www.bbc.com/live) - [More menu](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10656239#global-navigation-more-menu) [More menu](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10656239#global-navigation-more-menu) [Search BBC](https://www.bbc.com/search?d=NEWS_PS) - [Home](https://www.bbc.com/) - [News](https://www.bbc.com/news) - [Sport](https://www.bbc.com/sport) - [Business](https://www.bbc.com/business) - [Innovation](https://www.bbc.com/innovation) - [Culture](https://www.bbc.com/culture) - [Travel](https://www.bbc.com/travel) - [Earth](https://www.bbc.com/future-planet) - [Audio](https://www.bbc.com/audio) - [Video](https://www.bbc.com/video) - [Live](https://www.bbc.com/live) Close menu [BBC News](https://www.bbc.com/news) [Menu](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10656239#product-navigation-menu) - [Home](https://www.bbc.com/news) - [UK](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk) - [World](https://www.bbc.com/news/world) - [Business](https://www.bbc.com/news/business) - [Culture](https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment_and_arts) - [Politics](https://www.bbc.com/news/politics) - [Health](https://www.bbc.com/news/health) - [Tech](https://www.bbc.com/news/technology) - [InDepth](https://www.bbc.com/news/bbcindepth) - [BBC Verify](https://www.bbc.com/news/bbcverify) - [Climate](https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/cmj34zmwm1zt) [More](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10656239#product-navigation-more-menu) - [Science](https://www.bbc.com/news/science_and_environment) - [Family & Education](https://www.bbc.com/news/education) - [In Pictures](https://www.bbc.com/news/in_pictures) - [Disability](https://www.bbc.com/news/disability) - [Newsbeat](https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat) - [World](https://www.bbc.com/news/world) - [Africa](https://www.bbc.com/news/world/africa) - [Asia](https://www.bbc.com/news/world/asia) - [Australia](https://www.bbc.com/news/world/australia) - [Europe](https://www.bbc.com/news/world/europe) - [Latin America](https://www.bbc.com/news/world/latin_america) - [Middle East](https://www.bbc.com/news/world/middle_east) - [US & Canada](https://www.bbc.com/news/world/us_and_canada) # Timeline: BP oil spill Share close panel Share page Copy link [About sharing](https://www.bbc.co.uk/usingthebbc/terms/can-i-share-things-from-the-bbc) On 20 April, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 workers and causing an oil spill that soon became the worst environmental disaster in US history. Here is a chronology of events in the months since, as BP has struggled to stem the leak and oil has washed ashore along the Gulf Coast, from the fragile Louisiana wetlands to the white sand beaches of Florida. ## 19 September The ruptured well is finally sealed and "effectively dead", says the top US federal official overseeing the disaster, Coast Guard Adm Thad Allen. ## 17 September BP pumps cement to seal the damaged well after it was intercepted by a relief well. ## 8 September In its own internal report into the Gulf of Mexico oil spill - the first to be published since the disaster - BP spreads the blame for the 11 April explosion and resulting leak. In a [193-page report, external](http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9034902&contentId=7064891) BP accepts responsibility in part for the disaster, but also blames other companies working on the well. ['Many failures' caused BP spill](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-11225623) ## 5 September Thad Allen, the US coastguard official overseeing the clean-up operation, says the BP oil well at the centre of the leak poses "no further risk" to the environment, despite the final stages of an operation to pump concrete into a relief well remaining unfinished. [BP well 'poses no further risk'](https://www.bbc.com/news/11190710) ## 3 September The blowout preventer that failed to stop the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig is removed from the stricken Gulf of Mexico oil well by BP. The 300-ton device will be examined as part of the inquiry into the leak of 206m gallons of oil into the Gulf. Meanwhile, the cost of the oil spill has risen to \$8bn (£5.2bn), BP says - a rise of some \$2bn in the past month alone. [BP blowout preventer 'removed'](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-11185296) ## 19 August A study published in a leading scientific journal confirms the presence of a toxic chemical residue one kilometre below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, but says it amounts to just 0.1% of the total amount spilled. [Oil leak leaves undersea residue](https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-11028622) ## 16 August The US announces that future applications for deepwater offshore drilling will require an environmental assessment, ending a practice that allowed BP's Deepwater Horizon rig to drill with little scrutiny. The White House said decision-making must be "fully informed" by knowledge of any potential environmental consequences. [US to require oil drilling review](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10992922) ## 9 August BP announces that the total cost to it of the oil spill so far has reached \$6.1bn (£3.8bn). The total includes the cost of the spill response, containment, relief well drilling, and cementing up of the damaged well. It also includes grants to the Gulf states hit by the spill and \$319m paid out in compensation to some of those affected by the spill. [BP oil spill costs pass \$6bn mark](https://www.bbc.com/news/business-10910612) [BP deposits \$3bn in relief fund](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10917007) ## 4 August The US government says three-quarters of the oil spilled in the Gulf has been cleaned up or broken down by natural forces. Meanwhile, BP reports "encouraging" progress with the "static kill" operation to plug the well with mud and seal it with cement. [Majority of BP spill 'dealt with'](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10867731) [BP says 'static kill' successful](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10862893) ## 3 August The US government says the oil spill is officially the biggest leak ever, with 4.9 million barrels of oil leaked before the well was capped last month. Scientists said only a fifth of the leaking oil - around 800,000 barrels - was captured during the clean-up operation. [BP gears up to halt 'worst spill'](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10849023) ## 2 August The US Environmental Protection Agency says in a study the dispersant used after the spill is no more toxic than oil alone. There had been concerns raised by congressional investigators that dispersant may have been more widely used than the government ordered. [Oil dispersant 'not more toxic'](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10846968) ## 28 July US scientists say the oil from the well has cleared from the sea surface faster than expected, 100 days after the disaster began. [Surface Gulf oil 'vanishing fast'](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10791343) ## 27 July ![BP chief executive Tony Hayward](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/304/mcs/media/images/48499000/jpg/_48499443_009864345-1.jpg) Image caption, Mr Hayward will leave his post by October BP confirms that chief executive Tony Hayward will leave his post by mutual agreement in October, but he is likely to retain a position in the company. BP plans to nominate him as a non-executive director of its Russian joint venture, TNK-BP. Mr Hayward's American colleague, Bob Dudley, who has taken charge of the clean-up operation, will replace him. Meanwhile, the oil giant's second quarter earnings are published, showing losses of \$17bn for the three months between April and June - a UK record. The company says it has set aside \$32.2bn (£20.8bn) to cover the costs linked to the Gulf of Mexico spill. [BP puts oil spill cost at \$32.2bn](https://www.bbc.com/news/business-10770252) ## 26 July The BBC reveals that 53-year old BP chief executive Tony Hayward will receive a year's salary plus benefits, together worth more than £1m, when he steps down. He will also be entitled to draw an annual pension of £600,000 once he reaches the age of 55. [BP boss Hayward 'to stand down'](https://www.bbc.com/news/business-10757751) ## 25 July Ships involved in BP's effort to secure the blown-out oil well prepare to resume work after a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico weakened. Coast Guard chief Adm Thad Allen says the storm put back efforts to drill a relief well by seven to 10 days. [Oil spill vessels return to site](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10751140) The BBC learns that BP's chief executive Tony Hayward, who has faced widespread criticism over his handling of the spill, is negotiating the terms of his exit from his post. [BP boss Hayward 'negotiates exit'](https://www.bbc.com/news/business-10753573) ## 22 July ![Development Driller II and III at the Deepwater Horizon site 22.7.10](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/304/mcs/media/images/48460000/jpg/_48460670_009849707-1.jpg) Image caption, The rig drilling a relief well was ordered to leave the spill site ahead of Tropical Storm Bonnie Dozens of vessels, including the rig drilling a relief well to permanently block the damaged well, are ordered to leave the site as Tropical Storm Bonnie approaches. BP warns that the final operation to plug the well could be delayed by up to two weeks by the storm. The capped well is to remain unmonitored for several days. Meanwhile, BP says it has been given permission to prepare for a "static kill" - pumping mud into the top of the well through the new cap - a step viewed as an intermediate measure. The firm would need final approval from the US to carry it out. [Storm forces ships off spill site](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10729485) ## 19 July Adm Allen tells BP he is concerned about a "detected seep" on the sea floor near the well and other "undetermined anomalies". He said that if methane was found to be seeping from the sea floor, oil might also be leaking. [BP oil cap 'closed for extra day'](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10685152) ## 15 July With the new cap in place, BP says it has temporarily shut off the oil flow in order to test the integrity of the well. President Barack Obama hails "a positive sign". [BP says oil has stopped leaking](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10654584) ## 14 July Adm Thad Allen says a relief well, which officials and BP have said is the only way permanently to plug the well, has come within 5ft (1.5m) of the leaking well bore. ## 10 July BP begins a bid to place a tighter-fitting cap atop the leaking wellhead. The company warns that oil will flow freely while the caps are being exchanged, but says it has brought in 400 oil-skimming ships to deal with the increased flow. ## 6 July Oil from the spill reaches Texas, meaning it has affected all five US Gulf Coast states. But officials said it was unclear if the oil had drifted hundreds of kilometres from the leak site to the Texas shore, or had fallen from ships taking part in the clean-up operation. [Gulf oil leak tar balls hit Texas](https://www.bbc.com/news/10520458) ## 5 July BP says the oil spill response has cost the company \$3.12bn (£2bn), including the cost of containing the spill and cleaning up the oil, and the cost of drilling relief wells. The figure also includes \$147m paid out in compensation to some of those affected by the spill. [BP oil spill costs pass \$3bn mark](https://www.bbc.com/news/10505423) ## 22 June ![Fisherman Tom Huynh](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/304/mcs/media/images/48379000/jpg/_48379248_bdofb69b.jpg) Image caption, Many fishermen put out of work by the oil spill have taken jobs in the clean-up effort A federal judge blocks the Obama administration's six-month moratorium on deepwater oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, saying the ban cannot be justified. The administration quickly issues another moratorium with revised terms. Meanwhile, BP hands day-to-day control of the response to Bob Dudley, replacing Chief Executive Tony Hayward, who had been widely criticised for his insensitive remarks on the spill. [US Gulf oil drilling ban blocked](https://www.bbc.com/news/10377836) ## 18 June BP chief executive Tony Hayward receives a tongue-lashing at a hearing in the US Congress. Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, says BP's "complacency" before the 20 April rig explosion was "astonishing". [Congress turns scorn on BP chief](https://www.bbc.com/news/10337146) ## 17 June BP announces it will place \$20bn in a fund to compensate victims of the oil spill and says it will not pay a shareholder dividend this year. ## 15 June President Obama addresses the nation from the Oval Office, vowing, "We will make BP pay for the damage their company has caused." [Oil spill: Obama to 'make BP pay'](https://www.bbc.com/news/10325271) ## 14 June President Obama makes a fourth trip to the gulf. ## 12 June Responding to complaints in the British media of an anti-British tone to his remarks, President Barack Obama tells UK Prime Minister David Cameron that his criticism of BP has nothing to do with national identity. [Obama defends US criticism of BP](https://www.bbc.com/news/10300082) ## 10 June The US Geological Survey estimates the oil flow at as many as 40,000 barrels per day before a cap was put on the well on 3 June. BP announces it is collecting 15,800 barrels per day from the well. [BP spill 'double early estimates'](https://www.bbc.com/news/10290238) [Q\&A: Scale of BP oil spill](https://www.bbc.com/news/10293952) ## 8 June ![A Whale](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/304/mcs/media/images/48379000/jpg/_48379247_zdq66urs.jpg) Image caption, Skimmers, including the giant "A Whale", are cleaning oil from the surface Adm Thad Allen, the commander of the US response, says clean-up of the oil-stricken Gulf could take years. Meanwhile, President Obama says he has been consulting with experts so he can learn "whose ass to kick" in the matter. The US government says underwater oil plumes have travelled as far as 40 miles from the site of the leaking well. [US oil clean-up 'will take years'](https://www.bbc.com/news/10258612) [Underwater oil plumes 'spreading'](https://www.bbc.com/news/10268142) ## 4 June BP places a cap, called the "lower marine riser package", atop the leaking wellhead. The cap allows the company to pipe much of the oil and gas leaking from the well to ships on the surface. President Obama takes a third trip to the region. [BP begins to funnel off oil spill](https://www.bbc.com/news/10239897) ## 2 June The US announces a criminal inquiry into the BP oil spill. [US begins criminal probe of spill](https://www.bbc.com/news/10211217) ## 30 May Carol Browner, President Barack Obama's adviser on energy policy, says the spill is the worst environmental disaster in US history, worse even than the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska. [Spill 'is worst US eco-disaster'](https://www.bbc.com/news/10194335) ## 28 May Obama visits the Gulf Coast again and declares "the buck stops with me". ## 26 May BP prepares to plug the leaking well with heavy drilling mud, a procedure called a "top kill". The attempt is declared a failure three days later. [What is a 'top kill'?](https://www.bbc.com/news/10159626) ## 19 May Oceanographers say oil from the leak has entered an ocean current - the "loop current" - that could carry it towards Florida and potentially up the US east coast. [Gulf oil 'reaches major current'](https://www.bbc.com/news/10127904) ## 14 May ![A pelican covered in oil](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/304/mcs/media/images/48379000/gif/_48379343_c3qmbhmz.gif) Image caption, Pelicans are among the wildlife harmed by the oil Researchers who have analysed underwater video from the leak site estimate as many as 70,000 barrels of oil are leaking into the Gulf per day, with a margin of error of plus or minus 20%, significantly higher than earlier estimates. BP tries to thread a tube into the broken wellhead in an effort to collect some of the leaking oil in surface ships. Meanwhile, President Obama condemns the "ridiculous spectacle" of the companies trading blame while oil spews from the well. [Fresh BP effort to stop oil leak, external](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8683063.stm) ## 11 May At a series of congressional hearings, BP, Transocean and Halliburton, the three companies involved in the Deepwater Horizon drilling operations, all blame each other for the disaster. ## 10 May BP officials weigh shoving debris, including golf balls and rubber tyres, into the leaking wellhead, a manoeuvre known as the "junk shot". They also ready a "top hat" - a metal dome - to be placed over the leak. Meanwhile, BP reveals the oil spill has cost the company \$350m (£233m) so far. [BP 'may stem oil with golf balls', external](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8672181.stm) ## 8 May BP's effort to place a giant metal box atop the leaking well to contain the spill fails when ice crystals accumulate inside the box and engineers are forced to remove it. Meanwhile, officials revise the estimate of the leak's rate upward to 5,000 barrels per day. [Setback in US oil containment bid, external](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8670501.stm) ## 2 May President Obama makes his first trip to the Gulf Coast and says BP is responsible for the leak and for paying for its clean-up. "We're dealing with a massive and potentially unprecedented environmental disaster," he says. "The oil that is still leaking from the well could seriously damage the economy and the environment of our Gulf states. And it could extend for a long time. It could jeopardise the livelihoods of thousands of Americans who call this place home." [Obama's sombre oil leak prognosis, external](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8657100.stm) ## 30 April Oil from the leaking well begins washing ashore in Louisiana. Soon fragile coastal wetlands are inundated with thick, brown mud. President Barack Obama's administration bans oil drilling in new areas off the US coast pending investigations into the cause of the BP spill. Before the spill, Mr Obama had said he would allow new offshore drilling. [Oil 'reaches' coast in US spill, external](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8653162.stm) ## 29 April The US Coast Guard sets fire to patches of spilled oil in an effort to prevent the slick from reaching the vulnerable Louisiana coastal wetlands. President Barack Obama pledges "every single available resource", including the military, to help in the response effort. [US sets fire to oil slick in Gulf, external](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8649862.stm) ## 28 April The US Coast Guard warns the oil leak could become the worst oil spill in US history. [Growing concerns over US oil leak, external](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8648004.stm) ## 26 April In a reverse, officials reveal the well is leaking an estimated 1,000 barrels of oil per day and warn of environmental disaster. Meanwhile, BP sends undersea robots to the wellhead in an unsuccessful effort to activate the blowout preventer, a piece of heavy kit mounted on top of the well to stem the flow of oil. [Environmental fears over US spill, external](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8642518.stm) ## 23 April The Coast Guard says it had no indication that oil was leaking from the well 5,000ft below the surface of the Gulf. [US fears ease over oil rig spill, external](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8639857.stm) ## 22 April The Deepwater Horizon sinks to the bottom of the Gulf after burning for 36 hours, raising concerns of a catastrophic oil spill. A Coast Guard official says the Macondo well, which the rig had been drilling, could be releasing up to 8,000 barrels of oil per day. ## 20 April An explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, 52 miles (84km) south-east of Venice, Louisiana, kills 11 workers. 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Readable Markdown	On 20 April, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 workers and causing an oil spill that soon became the worst environmental disaster in US history. Here is a chronology of events in the months since, as BP has struggled to stem the leak and oil has washed ashore along the Gulf Coast, from the fragile Louisiana wetlands to the white sand beaches of Florida. 19 September The ruptured well is finally sealed and "effectively dead", says the top US federal official overseeing the disaster, Coast Guard Adm Thad Allen. 17 September BP pumps cement to seal the damaged well after it was intercepted by a relief well. 8 September In its own internal report into the Gulf of Mexico oil spill - the first to be published since the disaster - BP spreads the blame for the 11 April explosion and resulting leak. In a [193-page report, external](http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9034902&contentId=7064891) BP accepts responsibility in part for the disaster, but also blames other companies working on the well. ['Many failures' caused BP spill](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-11225623) 5 September Thad Allen, the US coastguard official overseeing the clean-up operation, says the BP oil well at the centre of the leak poses "no further risk" to the environment, despite the final stages of an operation to pump concrete into a relief well remaining unfinished. [BP well 'poses no further risk'](https://www.bbc.com/news/11190710) 3 September The blowout preventer that failed to stop the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig is removed from the stricken Gulf of Mexico oil well by BP. The 300-ton device will be examined as part of the inquiry into the leak of 206m gallons of oil into the Gulf. Meanwhile, the cost of the oil spill has risen to \$8bn (£5.2bn), BP says - a rise of some \$2bn in the past month alone. [BP blowout preventer 'removed'](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-11185296) 19 August A study published in a leading scientific journal confirms the presence of a toxic chemical residue one kilometre below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, but says it amounts to just 0.1% of the total amount spilled. [Oil leak leaves undersea residue](https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-11028622) 16 August The US announces that future applications for deepwater offshore drilling will require an environmental assessment, ending a practice that allowed BP's Deepwater Horizon rig to drill with little scrutiny. The White House said decision-making must be "fully informed" by knowledge of any potential environmental consequences. [US to require oil drilling review](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10992922) 9 August BP announces that the total cost to it of the oil spill so far has reached \$6.1bn (£3.8bn). The total includes the cost of the spill response, containment, relief well drilling, and cementing up of the damaged well. It also includes grants to the Gulf states hit by the spill and \$319m paid out in compensation to some of those affected by the spill. [BP oil spill costs pass \$6bn mark](https://www.bbc.com/news/business-10910612) [BP deposits \$3bn in relief fund](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10917007) 4 August 3 August The US government says the oil spill is officially the biggest leak ever, with 4.9 million barrels of oil leaked before the well was capped last month. Scientists said only a fifth of the leaking oil - around 800,000 barrels - was captured during the clean-up operation. [BP gears up to halt 'worst spill'](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10849023) 2 August The US Environmental Protection Agency says in a study the dispersant used after the spill is no more toxic than oil alone. There had been concerns raised by congressional investigators that dispersant may have been more widely used than the government ordered. [Oil dispersant 'not more toxic'](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10846968) 28 July 27 July ![BP chief executive Tony Hayward](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/304/mcs/media/images/48499000/jpg/_48499443_009864345-1.jpg) Image caption, Mr Hayward will leave his post by October BP confirms that chief executive Tony Hayward will leave his post by mutual agreement in October, but he is likely to retain a position in the company. BP plans to nominate him as a non-executive director of its Russian joint venture, TNK-BP. Mr Hayward's American colleague, Bob Dudley, who has taken charge of the clean-up operation, will replace him. Meanwhile, the oil giant's second quarter earnings are published, showing losses of \$17bn for the three months between April and June - a UK record. The company says it has set aside \$32.2bn (£20.8bn) to cover the costs linked to the Gulf of Mexico spill. [BP puts oil spill cost at \$32.2bn](https://www.bbc.com/news/business-10770252) 26 July The BBC reveals that 53-year old BP chief executive Tony Hayward will receive a year's salary plus benefits, together worth more than £1m, when he steps down. He will also be entitled to draw an annual pension of £600,000 once he reaches the age of 55. [BP boss Hayward 'to stand down'](https://www.bbc.com/news/business-10757751) 25 July Ships involved in BP's effort to secure the blown-out oil well prepare to resume work after a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico weakened. Coast Guard chief Adm Thad Allen says the storm put back efforts to drill a relief well by seven to 10 days. [Oil spill vessels return to site](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10751140) The BBC learns that BP's chief executive Tony Hayward, who has faced widespread criticism over his handling of the spill, is negotiating the terms of his exit from his post. [BP boss Hayward 'negotiates exit'](https://www.bbc.com/news/business-10753573) 22 July ![Development Driller II and III at the Deepwater Horizon site 22.7.10](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/304/mcs/media/images/48460000/jpg/_48460670_009849707-1.jpg) Image caption, The rig drilling a relief well was ordered to leave the spill site ahead of Tropical Storm Bonnie Dozens of vessels, including the rig drilling a relief well to permanently block the damaged well, are ordered to leave the site as Tropical Storm Bonnie approaches. BP warns that the final operation to plug the well could be delayed by up to two weeks by the storm. The capped well is to remain unmonitored for several days. Meanwhile, BP says it has been given permission to prepare for a "static kill" - pumping mud into the top of the well through the new cap - a step viewed as an intermediate measure. The firm would need final approval from the US to carry it out. [Storm forces ships off spill site](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10729485) 19 July Adm Allen tells BP he is concerned about a "detected seep" on the sea floor near the well and other "undetermined anomalies". He said that if methane was found to be seeping from the sea floor, oil might also be leaking. [BP oil cap 'closed for extra day'](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10685152) 15 July With the new cap in place, BP says it has temporarily shut off the oil flow in order to test the integrity of the well. President Barack Obama hails "a positive sign". [BP says oil has stopped leaking](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10654584) 14 July Adm Thad Allen says a relief well, which officials and BP have said is the only way permanently to plug the well, has come within 5ft (1.5m) of the leaking well bore. 10 July BP begins a bid to place a tighter-fitting cap atop the leaking wellhead. The company warns that oil will flow freely while the caps are being exchanged, but says it has brought in 400 oil-skimming ships to deal with the increased flow. 6 July Oil from the spill reaches Texas, meaning it has affected all five US Gulf Coast states. But officials said it was unclear if the oil had drifted hundreds of kilometres from the leak site to the Texas shore, or had fallen from ships taking part in the clean-up operation. [Gulf oil leak tar balls hit Texas](https://www.bbc.com/news/10520458) 5 July BP says the oil spill response has cost the company \$3.12bn (£2bn), including the cost of containing the spill and cleaning up the oil, and the cost of drilling relief wells. The figure also includes \$147m paid out in compensation to some of those affected by the spill. [BP oil spill costs pass \$3bn mark](https://www.bbc.com/news/10505423) 22 June ![Fisherman Tom Huynh](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/304/mcs/media/images/48379000/jpg/_48379248_bdofb69b.jpg) Image caption, Many fishermen put out of work by the oil spill have taken jobs in the clean-up effort A federal judge blocks the Obama administration's six-month moratorium on deepwater oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, saying the ban cannot be justified. The administration quickly issues another moratorium with revised terms. Meanwhile, BP hands day-to-day control of the response to Bob Dudley, replacing Chief Executive Tony Hayward, who had been widely criticised for his insensitive remarks on the spill. [US Gulf oil drilling ban blocked](https://www.bbc.com/news/10377836) 18 June BP chief executive Tony Hayward receives a tongue-lashing at a hearing in the US Congress. Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, says BP's "complacency" before the 20 April rig explosion was "astonishing". [Congress turns scorn on BP chief](https://www.bbc.com/news/10337146) 17 June BP announces it will place \$20bn in a fund to compensate victims of the oil spill and says it will not pay a shareholder dividend this year. 15 June 14 June President Obama makes a fourth trip to the gulf. 12 June Responding to complaints in the British media of an anti-British tone to his remarks, President Barack Obama tells UK Prime Minister David Cameron that his criticism of BP has nothing to do with national identity. [Obama defends US criticism of BP](https://www.bbc.com/news/10300082) 10 June 8 June ![A Whale](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/304/mcs/media/images/48379000/jpg/_48379247_zdq66urs.jpg) Image caption, Skimmers, including the giant "A Whale", are cleaning oil from the surface Adm Thad Allen, the commander of the US response, says clean-up of the oil-stricken Gulf could take years. Meanwhile, President Obama says he has been consulting with experts so he can learn "whose ass to kick" in the matter. The US government says underwater oil plumes have travelled as far as 40 miles from the site of the leaking well. [US oil clean-up 'will take years'](https://www.bbc.com/news/10258612) [Underwater oil plumes 'spreading'](https://www.bbc.com/news/10268142) 4 June BP places a cap, called the "lower marine riser package", atop the leaking wellhead. The cap allows the company to pipe much of the oil and gas leaking from the well to ships on the surface. President Obama takes a third trip to the region. [BP begins to funnel off oil spill](https://www.bbc.com/news/10239897) 2 June 30 May Carol Browner, President Barack Obama's adviser on energy policy, says the spill is the worst environmental disaster in US history, worse even than the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska. [Spill 'is worst US eco-disaster'](https://www.bbc.com/news/10194335) 28 May Obama visits the Gulf Coast again and declares "the buck stops with me". 26 May BP prepares to plug the leaking well with heavy drilling mud, a procedure called a "top kill". The attempt is declared a failure three days later. [What is a 'top kill'?](https://www.bbc.com/news/10159626) 19 May Oceanographers say oil from the leak has entered an ocean current - the "loop current" - that could carry it towards Florida and potentially up the US east coast. [Gulf oil 'reaches major current'](https://www.bbc.com/news/10127904) 14 May ![A pelican covered in oil](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/304/mcs/media/images/48379000/gif/_48379343_c3qmbhmz.gif) Image caption, Pelicans are among the wildlife harmed by the oil Researchers who have analysed underwater video from the leak site estimate as many as 70,000 barrels of oil are leaking into the Gulf per day, with a margin of error of plus or minus 20%, significantly higher than earlier estimates. BP tries to thread a tube into the broken wellhead in an effort to collect some of the leaking oil in surface ships. Meanwhile, President Obama condemns the "ridiculous spectacle" of the companies trading blame while oil spews from the well. [Fresh BP effort to stop oil leak, external](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8683063.stm) 11 May At a series of congressional hearings, BP, Transocean and Halliburton, the three companies involved in the Deepwater Horizon drilling operations, all blame each other for the disaster. 10 May BP officials weigh shoving debris, including golf balls and rubber tyres, into the leaking wellhead, a manoeuvre known as the "junk shot". They also ready a "top hat" - a metal dome - to be placed over the leak. Meanwhile, BP reveals the oil spill has cost the company \$350m (£233m) so far. [BP 'may stem oil with golf balls', external](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8672181.stm) 8 May BP's effort to place a giant metal box atop the leaking well to contain the spill fails when ice crystals accumulate inside the box and engineers are forced to remove it. Meanwhile, officials revise the estimate of the leak's rate upward to 5,000 barrels per day. [Setback in US oil containment bid, external](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8670501.stm) 2 May President Obama makes his first trip to the Gulf Coast and says BP is responsible for the leak and for paying for its clean-up. "We're dealing with a massive and potentially unprecedented environmental disaster," he says. "The oil that is still leaking from the well could seriously damage the economy and the environment of our Gulf states. And it could extend for a long time. It could jeopardise the livelihoods of thousands of Americans who call this place home." [Obama's sombre oil leak prognosis, external](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8657100.stm) 30 April Oil from the leaking well begins washing ashore in Louisiana. Soon fragile coastal wetlands are inundated with thick, brown mud. President Barack Obama's administration bans oil drilling in new areas off the US coast pending investigations into the cause of the BP spill. Before the spill, Mr Obama had said he would allow new offshore drilling. [Oil 'reaches' coast in US spill, external](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8653162.stm) 29 April The US Coast Guard sets fire to patches of spilled oil in an effort to prevent the slick from reaching the vulnerable Louisiana coastal wetlands. President Barack Obama pledges "every single available resource", including the military, to help in the response effort. [US sets fire to oil slick in Gulf, external](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8649862.stm) 28 April 26 April In a reverse, officials reveal the well is leaking an estimated 1,000 barrels of oil per day and warn of environmental disaster. Meanwhile, BP sends undersea robots to the wellhead in an unsuccessful effort to activate the blowout preventer, a piece of heavy kit mounted on top of the well to stem the flow of oil. [Environmental fears over US spill, external](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8642518.stm) 23 April 22 April The Deepwater Horizon sinks to the bottom of the Gulf after burning for 36 hours, raising concerns of a catastrophic oil spill. A Coast Guard official says the Macondo well, which the rig had been drilling, could be releasing up to 8,000 barrels of oil per day. 20 April An explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, 52 miles (84km) south-east of Venice, Louisiana, kills 11 workers. Operator Transocean, under contract for BP, says it had no warning of trouble ahead of the blast. The rig was drilling in about 5,000ft (1,525m) of water, pushing the boundaries of deepwater drilling technology.
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