Damaged BP well 'could result in oil leaks'

Water quality in the Gulf of Mexico could be under scrutiny again after a BP well containing oil became damaged.

Earlier this week, engineers monitoring the well confirmed that they have detected seepage on the ocean floor.

This could mean that while the cap was meant to stop oil gushing into the water, it might no longer be functioning properly - causing environmental concern over the water quality in the area.

On Sunday (July 18th), the US government notified the BP chief managing director Bob Dudley of the leak from the cap and "undetermined anomalies at the well head".

BP has been trying to contain the oil, which has been leaking from a rig since an explosion occurred on April 20th, causing the substance to seep into the water.

A spokesperson for the company said: "Plans continue for additional containment capacity and flexibility that are expected to ultimately increase recoverable oil volumes to 60,000-80,000 barrels per day."

It was also confirmed that the oil giant has collected 826,000 barrels of oil from the Gulf of Mexico to date.

Posted by Joseph Hutton