Nobody seems to know how much oil is spewing from the well head. BP says its collecting 11,000 barrels per day, but the total flow rate is supposed to be 12-19,000. So why is there still a huge gusher of oil billowing out at an alarming speed?
There's obviously quite a bit of fuzzy math happening out there. The question is how deliberate it is.
But this item from McClatchy sheds some light.
Leifer noted that BP had estimated before the April 20 explosion that caused the leak that a freely flowing pipe from the well would release 100,000 barrels of oil a day in the worst-case scenario.
That's Exxon Valdez every 2.5 days.
(via reader Chip)