NEW ORLEANS — BP chief operating officer Doug Suttles says a mile-long tube has been collecting more than one-fifth of the oil that's spewing into the Gulf of Mexico from a blown-out well.
Speaking today on NBC's "Today" show, Suttles said the tube has been siphoning more than 1,000 barrels a day, or 42,000 gallons. BP has estimated about 5,000 barrels a day, or 210,000 gallons a day, has been leaking out.
He says they hope to be able to collect more oil as they ramp up the effort but they won't be able to get all of it.
After weeks of failed solutions, BP PLC crews on Sunday hooked up the tube to funnel the crude into a tanker ship. However, millions of gallons of crude are already in the Gulf.
