oil words

“We’re no longer dealing with a monolithic spill,” Admiral Allen said.

In a statement on its Web site, BP said one of four vents on its containment cap had been closed.

But that exercise was held in far shallower waters and the simulation prepared for an oil slick that was more compact in character.

He underscored the challenge by acknowledging, in response to a reporter’s question, that it would take years to mitigate the impact of the spill on the marshes, beaches and wildlife on the Gulf Coast.

Taken together, BP executives say, they should be able to eventually contain a vast majority of the leaking oil.

“We’re dealing with an aggregation of hundreds of thousands of patches of oil,” he added.

He underscored the challenge by acknowledging, in response to a reporter’s question, that it would take years to mitigate the impact of the spill on the marshes, beaches and wildlife on the Gulf Coast.

The struggle to fully deploy the new containment device has raised renewed questions about just how much oil is spewing from the well.

Although the Coast Guard had trained for the possibility of cleaning up a disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, it had never anticipated that oil would spread across such a broad area and break up into hundreds of thousands of patches as the current spill has done, the commander heading the federal response to the spill said Monday.

"The economic impact of this disaster is going to be substantial and it is going to be ongoing," President Obama told reporters following the meeting with Admiral Allen.

Federal studies have put the amount of oil spewing out of the stricken well at an estimated 12,000 barrels to 25,000 barrels, but BP had to cut a riser pipe on the stricken well last week to accommodate the capping device, which administration officials have said could have increased the flow rate by as much as 20 percent.

Although the Coast Guard had trained for the possibility of cleaning up a disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, it had never anticipated that oil would spread across such a broad area and break up into hundreds of thousands of patches as the current spill has done, the commander heading the federal response to the spill said Monday.

Federal studies have put the amount of oil spewing out of the stricken well at an estimated 12,000 barrels to 25,000 barrels, but BP had to cut a riser pipe on the stricken well last week to accommodate the capping device, which administration officials have said could have increased the flow rate by as much as 20 percent.

He underscored the challenge by acknowledging, in response to a reporter’s question, that it would take years to mitigate the impact of the spill on the marshes, beaches and wildlife on the Gulf Coast.

The admiral met with President Obama and cabinet members to review the latest containment and clean-up efforts necessitated by what federal officials have called the worst environmental disaster in American history.

As a result, the Coast Guard has had to recruit a flotilla of volunteers, hundreds of boats that will be equipped with booms and skimming devices, to clean up the scattered oil.

“And we need to adapt to meet that threat.”

He underscored the challenge by acknowledging, in response to a reporter’s question, that it would take years to mitigate the impact of the spill on the marshes, beaches and wildlife on the Gulf Coast.

At another point, Admiral Allen resorted to military metaphors to capture the nature of his challenge.

Although the Coast Guard had trained for the possibility of cleaning up a disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, it had never anticipated that oil would spread across such a broad area and break up into hundreds of thousands of patches as the current spill has done, the commander heading the federal response to the spill said Monday.

The president took several opportunities to fault BP for its response to the impact of the spill, saying at one point that “I do not want to see BP nickel-and-diming” fishermen and small-business owners hurt by the spill and now seeking compensation from BP. Federal officials, he said, would “ride herd on BP” to make sure BP is “quick and responsive to needs of these local communities.”

“It’s the breadth and complexity of the disaggregation of the oil” that is now posing the greatest clean-up challenge, the commander, Adm. Thad W. Allen, said at a news conference at the White House.

Admiral Allen also said that BP, the owner of the well, was preparing an additional rig to process recovered oil.

Although the Coast Guard had trained for the possibility of cleaning up a disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, it had never anticipated that oil would spread across such a broad area and break up into hundreds of thousands of patches as the current spill has done, the commander heading the federal response to the spill said Monday.

Although the Coast Guard had trained for the possibility of cleaning up a disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, it had never anticipated that oil would spread across such a broad area and break up into hundreds of thousands of patches as the current spill has done, the commander heading the federal response to the spill said Monday.

As a result, the Coast Guard has had to recruit a flotilla of volunteers, hundreds of boats that will be equipped with booms and skimming devices, to clean up the scattered oil.

Admiral Allen also said that BP, the owner of the well, was preparing an additional rig to process recovered oil.

“No one anticipated that this would spread out across such an area” and involve “hundreds of thousands” of patches, he said.

As a result, the Coast Guard has had to recruit a flotilla of volunteers, hundreds of boats that will be equipped with booms and skimming devices, to clean up the scattered oil.

The assessment was among Admiral Allen’s gloomier reports on the spill that began 47 days ago.

“They’re going to need constant, vigilant attention from this administration,” he said.

“BP still does not appear to know precisely how much oil is actually escaping, which is discouraging,” Representative Edward J. Markey , Democrat of Massachusetts, said in a letter to BP on Sunday.

The amount of oil being collected as a result of a containment cap placed on the ruptured well last week has increased, he said, and is now up to 11,000 barrels a day.

“It’s the breadth and complexity of the disaggregation of the oil” that is now posing the greatest clean-up challenge, the commander, Adm. Thad W. Allen, said at a news conference at the White House.

The amount of oil being collected as a result of a containment cap placed on the ruptured well last week has increased, he said, and is now up to 11,000 barrels a day.

At another point, Admiral Allen resorted to military metaphors to capture the nature of his challenge.

Although the Coast Guard had trained for the possibility of cleaning up a disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, it had never anticipated that oil would spread across such a broad area and break up into hundreds of thousands of patches as the current spill has done, the commander heading the federal response to the spill said Monday.

Federal studies have put the amount of oil spewing out of the stricken well at an estimated 12,000 barrels to 25,000 barrels, but BP had to cut a riser pipe on the stricken well last week to accommodate the capping device, which administration officials have said could have increased the flow rate by as much as 20 percent.

The admiral met with President Obama and cabinet members to review the latest containment and clean-up efforts necessitated by what federal officials have called the worst environmental disaster in American history.

Federal studies have put the amount of oil spewing out of the stricken well at an estimated 12,000 barrels to 25,000 barrels, but BP had to cut a riser pipe on the stricken well last week to accommodate the capping device, which administration officials have said could have increased the flow rate by as much as 20 percent.

The admiral met with President Obama and cabinet members to review the latest containment and clean-up efforts necessitated by what federal officials have called the worst environmental disaster in American history.

In a statement on its Web site, BP said one of four vents on its containment cap had been closed.

Although the Coast Guard had trained for the possibility of cleaning up a disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, it had never anticipated that oil would spread across such a broad area and break up into hundreds of thousands of patches as the current spill has done, the commander heading the federal response to the spill said Monday.

That will require many more vessels armed with skimmers and more booms to block the oil from reaching the shore.

The president took several opportunities to fault BP for its response to the impact of the spill, saying at one point that “I do not want to see BP nickel-and-diming” fishermen and small-business owners hurt by the spill and now seeking compensation from BP. Federal officials, he said, would “ride herd on BP” to make sure BP is “quick and responsive to needs of these local communities.”

A second system is being prepared that would use the pipes and other equipment installed for the failed “top kill” effort two weeks ago to collect oil from the well.

Then, by early July, BP plans to replace the new containment cap with another device called an “overshot tool,” which is heavier and more tightly sealed.

“It’s the breadth and complexity of the disaggregation of the oil” that is now posing the greatest clean-up challenge, the commander, Adm. Thad W. Allen, said at a news conference at the White House.

Clifford Krauss contributed reportingfrom Houston, John M. Broder from Washington..

But that exercise was held in far shallower waters and the simulation prepared for an oil slick that was more compact in character.

The Q4000 is not equipped to separate gas and oil, however, so crews are hurriedly modifying it to do so.

“It’s the breadth and complexity of the disaggregation of the oil” that is now posing the greatest clean-up challenge, the commander, Adm. Thad W. Allen, said at a news conference at the White House.

The amount of oil being collected as a result of a containment cap placed on the ruptured well last week has increased, he said, and is now up to 11,000 barrels a day.

The admiral said that a few years ago he led a training exercise on dealing with a major spill of oil resulting from a blown out well.

"The economic impact of this disaster is going to be substantial and it is going to be ongoing," President Obama told reporters following the meeting with Admiral Allen.

But the big problem the Coast Guard is facing is the intricacy of cleaning up oil that has broken into so many patches across the surface of the sea and spreading out in so many different directions.

Although the Coast Guard had trained for the possibility of cleaning up a disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, it had never anticipated that oil would spread across such a broad area and break up into hundreds of thousands of patches as the current spill has done, the commander heading the federal response to the spill said Monday.

Although the Coast Guard had trained for the possibility of cleaning up a disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, it had never anticipated that oil would spread across such a broad area and break up into hundreds of thousands of patches as the current spill has done, the commander heading the federal response to the spill said Monday.

As a result, the Coast Guard has had to recruit a flotilla of volunteers, hundreds of boats that will be equipped with booms and skimming devices, to clean up the scattered oil.

Admiral Allen also said that BP, the owner of the well, was preparing an additional rig to process recovered oil.

But Mr. Obama added that he is confident that the crisis will pass and the affected region will come back "even stronger than ever."

Admiral Allen also said that BP, the owner of the well, was preparing an additional rig to process recovered oil.

Federal studies have put the amount of oil spewing out of the stricken well at an estimated 12,000 barrels to 25,000 barrels, but BP had to cut a riser pipe on the stricken well last week to accommodate the capping device, which administration officials have said could have increased the flow rate by as much as 20 percent.

He underscored the challenge by acknowledging, in response to a reporter’s question, that it would take years to mitigate the impact of the spill on the marshes, beaches and wildlife on the Gulf Coast.

The president took several opportunities to fault BP for its response to the impact of the spill, saying at one point that “I do not want to see BP nickel-and-diming” fishermen and small-business owners hurt by the spill and now seeking compensation from BP. Federal officials, he said, would “ride herd on BP” to make sure BP is “quick and responsive to needs of these local communities.”

A second system is being prepared that would use the pipes and other equipment installed for the failed “top kill” effort two weeks ago to collect oil from the well.

Admiral Allen also said that BP, the owner of the well, was preparing an additional rig to process recovered oil.

Taken together, BP executives say, they should be able to eventually contain a vast majority of the leaking oil.

But even skimming operations have to be adapted to the depth of ocean and matched to the kinds of vessels available.

But a technician involved in the effort said Monday that it was unlikely that the other three vents would be closed — both because the surface ship, the Discoverer Enterprise, was near the 15,000-barrel limit of the amount of oil it could process, and because of concern that closing more vents would create more pressure that would force the cap off.

Federal studies have put the amount of oil spewing out of the stricken well at an estimated 12,000 barrels to 25,000 barrels, but BP had to cut a riser pipe on the stricken well last week to accommodate the capping device, which administration officials have said could have increased the flow rate by as much as 20 percent.

“And we need to adapt to meet that threat.”

The operation, Admiral Allen said, was “taxing our resources.”

But Mr. Obama added that he is confident that the crisis will pass and the affected region will come back "even stronger than ever."

But a technician involved in the effort said Monday that it was unlikely that the other three vents would be closed — both because the surface ship, the Discoverer Enterprise, was near the 15,000-barrel limit of the amount of oil it could process, and because of concern that closing more vents would create more pressure that would force the cap off.

Government officials and BP executives say the containment efforts should help them come up with a more solid number.

Although the Coast Guard had trained for the possibility of cleaning up a disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, it had never anticipated that oil would spread across such a broad area and break up into hundreds of thousands of patches as the current spill has done, the commander heading the federal response to the spill said Monday.

He was heartened, he said, by the fact that 1,500 vessels, most of them private boats, have been recruited into the fight to clean up the spill and many of those will be fitted with skimmers to sweep up the oil before it reaches the delicate marshes on the shore.

As a result, the Coast Guard has had to recruit a flotilla of volunteers, hundreds of boats that will be equipped with booms and skimming devices, to clean up the scattered oil.

“They’re going to need constant, vigilant attention from this administration,” he said.

Some independent scientists say the number could be far higher, and they question why BP has not made an active effort to estimate the size of the leak.

But even skimming operations have to be adapted to the depth of ocean and matched to the kinds of vessels available.

The Q4000 is not equipped to separate gas and oil, however, so crews are hurriedly modifying it to do so.

Some independent scientists say the number could be far higher, and they question why BP has not made an active effort to estimate the size of the leak.

The Q4000 is not equipped to separate gas and oil, however, so crews are hurriedly modifying it to do so.

“It’s the breadth and complexity of the disaggregation of the oil” that is now posing the greatest clean-up challenge, the commander, Adm. Thad W. Allen, said at a news conference at the White House.

Taken together, BP executives say, they should be able to eventually contain a vast majority of the leaking oil.

The struggle to fully deploy the new containment device has raised renewed questions about just how much oil is spewing from the well.

In recent days, government scientists estimated the leak at 12,000 barrels to 19,000 barrels, and Admiral Allen on Sunday put the upper end of the range at 25,000 barrels.

That will require many more vessels armed with skimmers and more booms to block the oil from reaching the shore.

"The economic impact of this disaster is going to be substantial and it is going to be ongoing," President Obama told reporters following the meeting with Admiral Allen.

In recent days, government scientists estimated the leak at 12,000 barrels to 19,000 barrels, and Admiral Allen on Sunday put the upper end of the range at 25,000 barrels.

But Mr. Obama added that he is confident that the crisis will pass and the affected region will come back "even stronger than ever."

The struggle to fully deploy the new containment device has raised renewed questions about just how much oil is spewing from the well.

The admiral said that a few years ago he led a training exercise on dealing with a major spill of oil resulting from a blown out well.

The president took several opportunities to fault BP for its response to the impact of the spill, saying at one point that “I do not want to see BP nickel-and-diming” fishermen and small-business owners hurt by the spill and now seeking compensation from BP. Federal officials, he said, would “ride herd on BP” to make sure BP is “quick and responsive to needs of these local communities.”

But Mr. Obama added that he is confident that the crisis will pass and the affected region will come back "even stronger than ever."

Taken together, BP executives say, they should be able to eventually contain a vast majority of the leaking oil.

Although the Coast Guard had trained for the possibility of cleaning up a disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, it had never anticipated that oil would spread across such a broad area and break up into hundreds of thousands of patches as the current spill has done, the commander heading the federal response to the spill said Monday.

But he also reported some signs of progress.

The president took several opportunities to fault BP for its response to the impact of the spill, saying at one point that “I do not want to see BP nickel-and-diming” fishermen and small-business owners hurt by the spill and now seeking compensation from BP. Federal officials, he said, would “ride herd on BP” to make sure BP is “quick and responsive to needs of these local communities.”

But a technician involved in the effort said Monday that it was unlikely that the other three vents would be closed — both because the surface ship, the Discoverer Enterprise, was near the 15,000-barrel limit of the amount of oil it could process, and because of concern that closing more vents would create more pressure that would force the cap off.

“This is a long campaign, and we’re going to be dealing with this for the foreseeable future,” he said.

The president took several opportunities to fault BP for its response to the impact of the spill, saying at one point that “I do not want to see BP nickel-and-diming” fishermen and small-business owners hurt by the spill and now seeking compensation from BP. Federal officials, he said, would “ride herd on BP” to make sure BP is “quick and responsive to needs of these local communities.”

Taken together, BP executives say, they should be able to eventually contain a vast majority of the leaking oil.

But the big problem the Coast Guard is facing is the intricacy of cleaning up oil that has broken into so many patches across the surface of the sea and spreading out in so many different directions.

“This is a long campaign, and we’re going to be dealing with this for the foreseeable future,” he said.

“They’re going to need constant, vigilant attention from this administration,” he said.

At another point, Admiral Allen resorted to military metaphors to capture the nature of his challenge.

But a technician involved in the effort said Monday that it was unlikely that the other three vents would be closed — both because the surface ship, the Discoverer Enterprise, was near the 15,000-barrel limit of the amount of oil it could process, and because of concern that closing more vents would create more pressure that would force the cap off.

The president took several opportunities to fault BP for its response to the impact of the spill, saying at one point that “I do not want to see BP nickel-and-diming” fishermen and small-business owners hurt by the spill and now seeking compensation from BP. Federal officials, he said, would “ride herd on BP” to make sure BP is “quick and responsive to needs of these local communities.”