Debris ...
oil brooms on beach
A MILE-long underwater pipe is drawing most of the oil away from the fractured Gulf of Mexico well, BP said last night.
The oil giant said deep-sea robots successfully
connected it to a tanker on the surface yesterday, following an earlier
blip.
The company has spent three weeks trying to
contain the leak after an oil rig exploded last month, killing 11
workers.
Millions of gallons of crude have spewed
into the sea, threatening the coasts of Mississippi, Louisiana and
Alabama.
A statement from clean-up co-ordinators
said: "While not collecting all the leaking oil, this tool is an
important step in reducing the amount being released into Gulf waters."
Officials said that so far the spill has had "minimal
impact" on the shoreline and wildlife.
But oil
debris and tar balls have been washing up on barrier islands and beaches
in at least a dozen spots.