US oil slick: Should we worry?
- Published
Inflatable booms, designed to protect wildlife, float along the Mississippi coastline
WHAT HAPPENED?
An explosion on BP's Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig, in the Gulf of Mexico.
115 workers were evacuated from the platform.
11 are missing, presumed dead.
Fire-fighting boats battle to control the blaze on Deepwater Horizon
Experts think a surge of oil may have caused the blast.
Valves called 'blowout preventors' should have stopped that from happening.
The rig has now sunk. The well it was drilling is still pumping oil in to the sea.
It is leaking the equivalent of 5,000 barrels of oil every day, according to estimates.
WHAT'S HAPPENED TO THE OIL?
The oil spill (white spiral) is drifting towards Louisiana and the US Gulf Coast
The slick has spread more than 120 miles since the explosion on 20 April.
Louisiana is the closest state.
Reports on Friday, 30 April suggested traces of oil had reached the coastline and Mississippi river delta.
The neighbouring states of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida are also at risk.
WHAT IS THE RISK?
Oyster production in New Orleans is under threat from the slick
Wildlife is the biggest worry.
The Gulf of Mexico is home to whales, dolphins, tuna, turtles and many species of birds.
Twenty national wildlife reserves are situated along the coast.
Among the most vulnerable animals are pelicans which are currently nesting, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
There are also concerns for the region's seafood industry.
Fishermen have been carrying out emergency shrimp harvests, hoping to collect them before the slick arrives.
Oyster farmers have warned that their livelihood is also under threat.
WHAT IS BEING DONE ABOUT IT?
Inflatable booms are being used alongside oil-dispersing chemicals
BP will have to pay for clearing up the mess.
However President Obama has said he will make the resources of the US government available to help deal with the crisis.
One of the biggest challenges is stopping the flow of oil.
A second rig could be brought in to drill into the well and stop it leaking.
Engineers are also looking at placing 'domes' over the undersea leaks to capture some of the oil.
Both options could take several months.
In the meantime more immediate action is being taken to control the spreading slick.
'Surface burn' is being used to remove some of the oil
Some of the oil floating on the surface of the sea has been burned off.
Special chemicals are being used to break-up the slick.
Inflatable floating 'booms' are being placed around the coast of Louisiana.
Oil skimming boats which can collect deposits from the surface of the water are also patrolling the gulf.
The governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal, has declared a state of emergency.
He has asked the US government for permission to call-up 6000 members of the National Guard if needed.
IS IT STILL "DRILL BABY DRILL"?
Offshore drilling was already a hot topic in the US before the Deepwater Horizon explosion.
During the 2008 US election campaign Barack Obama said he would keep a ban on oil and gas exploration off the East Coast of America.
US President Obama changed his mind about ofshore drilling
His opponents promised to lift the restriction, if they won.
They claimed that increasing US production would protect the country from changeable foreign suppliers.
During a campaign debate the Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin said Americans wanted to "Drill Baby Drill".
Following his election, President Obama changed his mind, making new drilling part of a national energy plan.
The decision was criticised by environmental campaigners who claimed it would increase the chances of an offshore accident.
Following the Gulf of Mexico spill, the White House announced the suspension of all new drilling until a full investigation is carried out.