British Prime Minister David Cameron on Tuesday came to the defense of embattled energy giant BP PLC, warning Americans not to let justifiable anger over the Gulf oil spill and questions about BP's suspected role in the release of a Libyan terrorist convicted in the Lockerbie airplane bombing undermine the viability of the company.
The federal government Monday allowed BP to keep the cap shut tight on its busted Gulf of Mexico oil well for another day despite a seep in the sea floor after the company promised to watch closely for signs of new leaks underground, settling for the moment a rift between BP and the government.
The custom-built cap that finally cut off the oil flowing from BP's broken well into the Gulf of Mexico held steady Sunday, and the company hopes to leave it that way until crews can kill the leak permanently.
BP was encouraged Saturday as the final hours ticked away on a two-day trial run of a massive cap on its busted Gulf of Mexico well, saying there no signs of new leaks and oil was being kept out of the water.
The clock expired on BP's 48-hour observation period and the government added another day of critical monitoring. Scientists and engineers were optimistic that the well showed no obvious signs of leaks.
A tightly fitted cap was successfully keeping oil from gushing into the Gulf of Mexico for the first time in three months, BP said Thursday.
The oil spill that has forced thousands of Gulf fisherman off their boats has been especially cruel to those in the tight-knit Vietnamese community here who find themselves wrestling with cultural and language barriers even as they face the threat of financial disaster — just five years after surviving Hurricane Katrina.
Demonstrators have poured sticky black liquid around a statue in the British Museum to protest its sponsorship by BP PLC.
BP PLC said Monday that the cost of dealing with the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has risen to $3.5 billion, though its shares rallied on reports it may sell some assets.
