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BP oil spill clean-up costs rise to $4bn as it plans final kill

19 July 2010 14:10 (UTC +04:00)

Baku - APA-Economics. BP said in statement on Monday that the cost of its clean-up efforts in the Gulf of Mexico had risen to $3.95bn. It continues to run an integrity test on the well, on which it placed a cap last week, Telegraph.co.uk reported.

However, it did not refer to reports by a US official on Sunday that a possible oil or methane seep had been detected near the pipeline damaged in the Deepwater Horizon explosion.

The US government has ordered the company to produce a report on the "detected seep" and asked them to submit a plan for reopening the well if the seep is confirmed.

It did not disclose what substance had been found to be escaping from the ocean floor but the announcement will raise concerns that an operation to plug a burst pipeline may simply have moved the problem elsewhere.

BP shares in London fell 5pc on Monday morning.

Coast Guard Adm Thad Allen who is leading the administrationâ€™s response to the crisis, released a letter to BP in which he reminded them that seeps of oil or gas had to be reported within four hours.

Mr Allen wrote: "I direct you to provide me a written procedure for opening the choke valve as quickly as possible without damaging the well should hydrocarbon seepage near the well head be confirmed."

When asked about the official’s comments, BP spokesman Mark Salt would only say that "we continue to work very closely with all government scientists on this".

BP’s chief operating officer, Doug Suttles, said at the weekend that "No one associated with this whole activity ... wants to see any more oil flow into the Gulf of Mexico. Right now we don’t have a target to return the well to flow."