when was the deepwater horizon oil spill capped
Deepwater Horizon oil spill Concerns were raised about the appearance of underwater, horizontally extended plumes of dissolved oil. Researchers concluded that deep plumes of dissolved oil and gas would likely remain confined to the northern Gulf of Mexico and that the peak impact on dissolved oxygen would be delayed and long lasting.[61] Two weeks after the wellhead was capped on 15 July 2010, the surface oil appeared to have dissipated, while an unknown amount of subsurface oil remained.[62] Estimates of the residual ranged from a 2010 NOAA report that claimed about half of the oil remained below the surface to independent estimates of up to 75%.[63][64][65]
Deepwater Horizon oil spill The spill had a strong economic impact to BP [256] and also the Gulf Coast's economy sectors such as offshore drilling, fishing and tourism. Estimates of lost tourism dollars were projected to cost the Gulf coastal economy up to 22.7 billion through 2013. In addition, Louisiana reported that lost visitor spending through the end of 2010 totaled $32 million, and losses through 2013 were expected to total $153 million in this state alone.[257][258] The Gulf of Mexico commercial fishing industry was estimated to have lost $247 million as a result of postspill fisheries closures. One study projects that the overall impact of lost or degraded commercial, recreational, and mariculture fisheries in the Gulf could be $8.7 billion by 2020, with a potential loss of 22,000 jobs over the same time frame.[258][259] BP's expenditures on the spill included the cost of the spill response, containment, relief well drilling, grants to the Gulf states, claims paid, and federal costs, including fines and penalties.[260] As of March 2012, BP estimated the company's total spill-related expenses do not exceed $37.2 billion.[261] However, by some estimations penalties that BP may be required to pay have reached as high as $90Â billion.[262] In addition, in November 2012 the EPA announced that BP will be temporarily banned from seeking new contracts with the US government.[26] Due to the loss of the market value, BP had dropped from the second to the fourth largest of the four major oil companies by 2013.[263] During the crisis, BP gas stations in the United States reported a sales drop of between 10 and 40% due to backlash against the company.[264]