HOUSTON, June 14 (Reuters) – BP Plc (BP.L: Quote, Profile, Research) (BP.N: Quote, Profile, Research) took
risky shortcuts in drilling its Macondo well that “increased
the danger of a catastrophic well failure,” two U.S. lawmakers
probing the well’s blow-out and the worst U.S. oil spill said
on Monday.

“It appears that BP repeatedly chose risky procedures in
order to reduce costs and save time and made minimal efforts to
contain the added risk,” said Representatives Henry Waxman and
Bart Stupak, the top Democrats on the House of Representatives
Energy and Commerce Committee.

HOUSTON (Reuters) – Shares in British energy giant BP will be in the spotlight again on Friday after U.S. government scientists doubled their estimate of the amount of oil gushing out of its ruptured Gulf of Mexico well.

The Wall Street Journal reported the British oil company was considering deferring or reducing its second quarter dividend to help quell the political uproar in the United States over the environmental disaster caused by the massive spill.

HOUSTON (Reuters) – U.S. government scientists on Thursday doubled their estimate of the amount of oil gushing out of a ruptured Gulf of Mexico oil well as British energy giant BP scrambled to stem the leak.

The news that the flow rate may be as high 40,000 barrels (1.68 million gallons/6.36 million liters) per day came after U.S. markets closed.

HOUSTON (Reuters) – U.S. scientists on Thursday doubled their high-end estimate of the amount of crude oil flowing from BP Plc’s stricken Gulf of Mexico well.

They said between 20,000 and 40,000 barrels (840,000 and 1.7 million gallons/3.2 million and 6.4 million liters) of oil flowed from the well before June 3, when BP’s remotely operated robots sawed through an underwater pipe to clear the way for a capping procedure.

HOUSTON/LONDON (Reuters) – British energy giant BP Plc’s stock price tumbled on Wednesday as it faced more U.S. government and congressional scrutiny over its handling of the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told a congressional hearing that BP’s latest effort to try to contain the oil gushing from its deep-sea well may have increased the flow of crude 4 to 5 percent above what it was before.

HOUSTON/LONDON (Reuters) – British energy giant BP Plc’s stock price tumbled on Wednesday as it faced more government and congressional scrutiny over its handling of the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told a congressional hearing that BP’s latest effort to try to contain the oil gushing from its deep-sea well may have increased the flow of crude 4 to 5 percent above what it was before.

HOUSTON (Reuters) – U.S. experts investigating reports of undersea oil plumes emanating from BP Plc’s stricken well in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday confirmed the presence of low levels of oil below the surface.

“NOAA is confirming the presence of very low concentrations of subsurface oil,” Jane Lubchenco, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told a briefing in Washington.

HOUSTON (Reuters) – Experts investigating reports of undersea oil plumes emanating from BP Plc’s stricken well in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday confirmed the presence of low levels of oil below the surface.

“NOAA is confirming the presence of very low concentrations of subsurface oil,” Jane Lubchenco, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told a briefing in Washington.

HOUSTON (Reuters) – Midway through a news conference to lambaste the Obama administration for dragging its heels on approving a plan to fight a massive oil spill on Wednesday, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal chalked up a political victory.

Standing at a podium in Venice, Louisiana, an aide handed Jindal a piece of paper informing him that the White House had approved to a plan requiring BP Plc to spend $350 million to build five barrier islands. The sand islands hopefully will shield the state’s fragile coastline from an onslaught of oil.

HOUSTON (Reuters) – Midway through a news conference to lambaste the Obama administration for dragging its heels on approving a plan to fight a massive oil spill on Wednesday, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal chalked up a political victory.

Standing at a podium in Venice, Louisiana, an aide handed Jindal a piece of paper informing him that the White House had approved a plan requiring BP Plc to spend $350 million to build five barrier islands. The sand islands hopefully will shield the state’s fragile coastline from an onslaught of oil.