BP chief vows to stay

Progress seen in containment, cleanup as outcry continues

BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward said he did not plan to quit over the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill, as the energy giant’s bid to contain the crude appeared to reach a turning point.

Public and political pressure has been mounting on London-based BP to cap its gushing seabed oil well and take full financial responsibility for the cleanup and damage caused to Gulf coast fisheries, wildlife and tourism.

BP has no specific pre-allocated budget amount to pay damage claims, but will pay all those “hurt, harmed or damaged” until all legitimate claims are satisfied, another BP executive said on Saturday.

BP America Vice President of Resources Darryl Willis said the company over the past 30 days had written damages claims checks totaling more than $46 million across the US Gulf region, and he expected that to rise through June to “$84 million plus.”

Hayward became a lightning rod for Americans’ anger with BP when he told struggling Gulf Coast residents last month, “I would like my life back,” a remark widely seen as insensitive and which rekindled speculation he may not survive the crisis.

“It hasn’t crossed my mind. It’s clearly crossed other people’s minds but not mine,” Hayward told Britain’s Sunday Telegraph in an interview when asked if he had thought of stepping down as head of BP due to the outcry over the oil spill.

He said he understood the frustration at the length of time it was taking to contain the well.

“I think the reaction is entirely understandable when something of this magnitude occurred,” he said. “I’m also angry and frustrated.”

After a string of failures, BP made progress with its latest attempt to halt the spill – a containment dome fixed atop the well. The company said said on Sunday the dome had captured 10,500 barrels of oil in 24 hours.

Hayward told the BBC he hopes the dome will soon channel the “vast majority” of the crude to the surface.

That figure of 10,500 barrels (1.67 million liters) represents a little more than half of the top estimates of oil leaking from the damaged well daily.

The maximum collection rate from the small containment device on the ruptured well, which is about 1.6 km under the ocean’s surface, was estimated at about 15,000 barrels per day by US Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, who is heading up the federal oil spill relief efforts.

China Daily

Tags: BP, global oil