New estimate pegs BP leak at 60,000 barrels a day

The largest oil spill in history just got a lot larger. New US government estimates suggest as much as 60,000 barrels of oil a day are flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. The numbers are significantly higher than the previous estimate, which was 25,000 to 30, 000 barrels a day (and dramatically higher than the original BP estimate of 5,000 barrels). BP is currently capturing around 15,000 barrels of oil a day. If the oil flow continues to spew at this rate, BP could be charged with gross negligence and fined up to $258 million per day.

New York Times