Earlier today, an internal BP document turned up that in a worst-case scenario, Deepwater Horizon could be spewing as much as 100,000 barrels per day into the Gulf.
The estimate of 100,000 barrels (4.2 million gallons/15.9 million liters) of oil per day is far higher than the current U.S. government estimate of up to 60,000 barrels (2.5 million gallons/9.5 million liters) per day gushing from the ruptured offshore well into the sea.
The document, which is undated, was released by U.S. Representative Ed Markey, chairman of the energy and environment subcommittee of the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee.
BP had no immediate comment on the document.
The document can be seen here. It shows that in a "normal" spill, the well could be spilling as much as 40,000 barrels per day. The 100,000 figure assumes damage to the well bore.
To understand how serious this is, BP initially claimed the spill was dumping 1,000 barrels per day, then revised that estimate to 5,000 barrels per day. Any executive at a meeting where this was discussed better have a lawyer on speed dial.
Markey was on Meet the Press this morning, and tore BP a new one. He said that if this document is true, it means BP either lied to the government about the size of the spill or was criminally incompetent.
First they said it was only 1,000 barrels, then they said it was 5,000 barrels, now we're up to 100,000 barrels. It was their technology, it was their spill camp, they're the ones that should have known right from the beginning; and either to limit their liability or because they were grossly incompetent, they delayed a full response to the magnitude of this disaster.
This makes Tony Heyward look even more tone-deaf than ever. He knew BP was dumping this much oil into the Gulf, and he's at a yacht race?
Update: To clarify, the 100,000 figure is a worst-case scenario, assuming damage to the well bore. However, Empty Vessel points out in the comments that even without that, BP knew the well could be leaking as much as 40,000 barrels per day in a "normal" spill, but only told us it was leaking 6,000. The bottom line--BP may have known all along this was a bigger spill than they were telling us.
Update #2: Changed title due to suggestions it might be misleading