A massive explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig took the life of 11 workers on April 20, 2010. The rig, owed by Transocean and leased by BP LPC, was located about 50 miles off the Louisiana coast in the Gulf of Mexico.
Since the explosion in April, oil continues to pour into the Gulf at alarming rates. The event is being described as the worst environmental disaster in American history and all efforts to stop the spill have so far failed.
Watch the BP Oil Spill Live on the SpillCam
After intense pressure from President Barack Obama and U.S. lawmakers, BP finally agreed to give the public free access to its live video of the spill on the Internet. Instead of waiting for the latest update from your favorite news station, people can watch the event in real time, online.
The BP “SpillCam” offers footage via the live video feed captured from remotely operated vehicles (ROV) under the sea. While there is no sound, viewers can watch continuous underwater footage of the gushing flow of dark brown oil as it spews out of the broken pipe 5,000 feet under the sea. While the angle may change from time-to-time, the focus remains on the leak.
Satellite images and geospatial data of the spill, taken by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), are also online and updated frequently.
BP Oil Spill Flow Rate
While no one is exactly certain how much oil is in fact flowing, experts agree initial figures were seriously flawed. Experts and officials analyzing the oil have come up with various estimates. According to the latest PBS Gulf Leak Meter widget, the USGS estimates 840,000 gallons of oil are spewing into the Gulf of Mexico each day.