Argus reports on the oil spill in the US Gulf of Mexico and examines some of its consquences. Click on the links below to read these stories in full.

• BP removes failed BOP from Macondo well (3 September 2010)
BP successfully removed the blowout preventer (BOP) from the Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico and it will be lifted up to the surface this weekend, US national incident commander Thad Allen said today... >> read more

• BP removes Macondo capping stack, BOP next (2 September 2010)
BP successfully removed the capping stack on the Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico and expected to remove the blowout preventer (BOP) this evening, US national incident commander Thad Allen said today... >> read more

• BP presents report on spill lessons learned to US (2 September 2010)
Oil major BP delivered a 74-page report on lessons it and the industry have learned from the response to the deadly Deepwater Horizon explosion and subsequent oil spill, saying it is eager to parlay its unique experiences into helping improve the industry's capabilities in the future... >> read more

• BP expects to remove Macondo stack tomorrow (1 September 2010)
BP expects to remove the capping stack on the Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico tomorrow and proceed to removing the blowout preventer (BOP) in the next 24-36 hours, US national incident commander Thad Allen said today... >> read more

• BP to present spill findings to US (1 September 2010)
BP senior executives will meet with Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEM) director Michael Bromwich tomorrow to discuss what the company has learned from its response to the Macondo oil spill, the agency said... >> read more

• Investigators question BP and Transocean accountability (30 August 2010)
A US board investigating the 20 April Deepwater Horizon disaster has identified weaknesses in accountability and control of offshore energy projects... >> read more

• BP expects to remove Macondo BOP soon (27 August 2010)
BP will begin preparing for the removal of the blowout preventer on the Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico this weekend and expects to remove it between 30-31 August, US national incident commander Thad Allen said today... >> read more

• BP removal of pipe from Macondo BOP delayed (25 August 2010)
BP expects to delay the removal of the blow out preventer from the Macondo well by 24-36 hours as the company and government engineers determine the best possible way to remove a pipe from the device, US national incident commander Thad Allen said today... >> read more

• BP says Transocean did not notify about BOP changes (25 August 2010)
Changes made to the Macondo well's blowout preventer stack (BOP) did not come to light from Transocean until days after the deadly 20 April explosion, causing BP to lose faith in using the equipment meant to prevent the massive oil spill that occurred, a BP vice-president said today during testimony to US investigators... >> read more

• BP, Halliburton clash at government hearing (25 August 2010)
Halliburton employee who advised BP on the cementing of its Macondo well told US investigators today that he notified BP officials about concerns regarding potential gas flow problems days before the 20 April Deepwater Horizon rig disaster, while BP questioned whether it received adequate notification from the company in writing before or after the blowout... >> read more

• BP loans create 'buffer' (Petroleum Argus, 23 August 2010)
BP is borrowing $5bn backed by its crude production as it seeks further financial flexibility to meet uncertain liabilities from the Macondo oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico... >> read this story in full

• BP spill spurs heightened environmental reviews (Petroleum Argus, 23 August 2010)
The US administration is tightening environmental regulations for offshore oil and gas projects in the wake of BP's massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico... >> read more

• Board concerned about Deepwater Horizon oversight (23 August 2010)
A US government board investigating the cause of the Deepwater Horizon disaster voiced concerns today regarding possible problems arising from who was in charge of operations on the rig and whether there was a conflict of interest over safety, while BP and Transocean officials said BP praised the rig contractor before the disaster for its maintenance efforts... >> read more

• US gives BP go-ahead to remove Macondo drill pipe (23 August 2010)
BP has completed a “successful” ambient pressure test on the Macondo well and the government has authorized the “fishing operations” to remove the drill pipe in the blowout preventer, US national incident commander Thad Allen said today... >> read more

• BP to replace Macondo BOP ahead of bottom kill-Update (19 August 2010)

• BP to replace Macondo BOP ahead of bottom kill (19 August 2010)
The US government has authorized BP to replace the blowout preventer atop its crippled Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico in preparation for a bottom kill procedure that could take place the second week of September, US national incident commander Thad Allen said today... >> read more

• US lawmakers query BP on advertising spending-Update (17 August 2010)

•US lawmakers query BP on advertising spending (17 August 2010)
Democrat leaders from the US House of Representatives have asked BP to detail how much the company has spent on advertising and marketing in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon accident... >> read more

• US officials to make decision on bottom kill procedure (16 August 2010)
BP expects to complete the relief well to intercept its deepwater Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico, but the company and government scientists are examining how best to complete the bottom kill procedure without raising the pressure in the well's annulus, and US energy secretary Steven Chu and interior secretary Ken Salazar will make the final decision about how to proceed, US national incident commander Thad Allen said today... >> read more

• BP guarantees $20bn Macondo fund with US revenues (Petroleum Argus, 16 August 2010)
BP is pledging revenue from its US oil and gas producing properties as collateral to guarantee promised payments into the $20bn fund established to handle claims stemming from its massive oil spill in the US Gulf of Mexico... >> read more

• BP warns ‘bottom kill’ could pressure subsea cap (13 August 2010)
BP completed the pressure test on the Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico last night and is reviewing the data while warning that the planned “bottom kill” procedure could do more harm than good, the company said today... >> read more

• BP to return to relief well by end of the week (11 August 2010)
BP expects to return to working on the Macondo relief well by the end of the week, after evacuating personnel because tropical depression 5 is entering the US Gulf of Mexico, US national incident commander Thad Allen said today... >> read more

• BP suspends Gulf relief well drilling, plans shut-ins-Update (10 August 2010)

• BP suspends Gulf relief well drilling, plans shut-ins (10 August 2010)
Oil major BP will suspend drilling of a relief well meant to plug its crippled Macondo well south of Louisiana, as well as shut-in production and evacuate personnel at its offshore crude platforms in the US Gulf of Mexico, because of an approaching tropical system now located southwest of Florida, the company said... >> read more

• BP says static kill procedure at Macondo was successful (9 August 2010)
BP said today that it believes the static kill procedure to cement the Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico has been successful... >> read more

• Liabilities loom large for post-spill BP (Petroleum Argus, 9 August 2010)
BP is sealing its damaged Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico after successfully completing its static kill procedure,
while official government spill estimates give a clearer idea of the range of liabilities the firm faces... >> read more

• BP proceeds with relief well after cement job (6 August 2010)
BP is proceeding with first relief well at the Macondo site in the US Gulf of Mexico after cementing the original well using the static kill process, US national incident commander Thad Allen said... >> read more

• BP finishes cementing Macondo well-Update 2 (5 August 2010)
BP has completed cementing the Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico as part of a static kill procedure that yesterday halted the flow of oil beneath the sea floor... >> read more

• BP spill prompting possible changes in Mexico (5 August 2010)
Mexico is responding to the Deepwater Horizon accident in the US Gulf by considering new regulations regarding blowout preventers and drilling procedures, a top Mexican energy regulator said today... >> read more

• BP begins cementing Macondo well-Update (5 August 2010)
BP has started cementing the mud-plugged Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico as part of a static kill procedure that yesterday halted the flow of oil beneath the sea floor... >> read more

•BP’s Macondo static kill procedure going to plan (4 August 2010)
BP said today that the static kill procedure it started at the Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico yesterday has gone according to plan... >> read more

• BP begins static kill procedure at Macondo well-Update 3 (3 August 2010)

• BP begins static kill procedure at Macondo well-Update 2 (3 August 2010)

• BP starts Macondo well test ahead of static kill-Update (3 August 2010)

• BP to start Macondo well test ahead of static kill (3 August 2010)
BP expects to start an “injectivity” test today on its crippled Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico after being delayed yesterday because of a hydraulic leak discovered on the capping stack, US national incident commander Thad Allen said... >> read more

• BP cements relief well casing, plans static kill-Update2 (2 August 2010)

• BP cements relief well casing, plans static kill-Update (2 August 2010)

•BP cements relief well casing, plans static kill (2 August 2010)
BP has cemented the casing on the relief well at its Macondo site and is expected to begin a “static kill” operation tomorrow if an injectivity test scheduled for later today gives positive results, BP senior vice-president of exploration and production Kent Wells said today during a briefing for reporters... >> read more

• BP expands disposals under Dudley (Petroleum Argus, 2 August 2010)
BP has expanded its disposals plan to reshape itself into a “smaller, more focused” company under its first US chief executive, Robert Dudley. This follows a $32bn charge to cover liabilities from the Macondo spill in the US Gulf of Mexico that plunged the firm to a record $17bn second-quarter loss... >> read more

• Spill bill (Petroleum Argus, 2 August 2010)
The US House of Representatives is poised to approve a political manifesto masquerading as legislation. The Democratic-led House’s response to BP’s fatal Deepwater Horizon rig disaster and Macondo oil spill in the US Gulf is
a predictable legislative mishmash. It would wreak havoc on a US offshore oil sector already struggling under President Barack Obama’s latest deepwater drilling moratorium... >> read this story in full

• BP’s ‘static kill’ delayed by at least a day-Update (30 July 2010)
BP's “static kill” operation aimed at using mud to plug its Macondo well could start a day later than scheduled because of additional work that needs to be done on one of the two relief wells thousands of feet below the floor of the US Gulf of Mexico, the company and the US government said today... >> read more

• BP’s ‘static kill’ delayed by at least a day (30 July 2010)
BP's “static kill” operation aimed at plugging with mud its Macondo well from its top will start at least a day later than scheduled because of additional work that needs to be done on one of the two relief wells thousands of feet below the floor of the Gulf, the US government said today... >> read more

• BP to start casing relief well tonight, US says (29 July 2010)
BP will begin casing its primary relief well at its Macondo site in the US Gulf of Mexico later this evening and proceed toward a static kill, which will involve pumping mud and other material into the top of the capped original well, US government officials said today... >> read more

• BP says static kill operation on track-Update (27 July 2010)
BP will begin drilling into the bottom of its Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico two weeks from today, and the process of plugging it with the relief well operation could take days or weeks, the company said... >> read more

• BP says static kill operation on track (27 July 2010)
BP is expected to begin the static kill on the top its Macondo well on 2 August and will begin drilling into the bottom of the well five days after that, the US government said today... >> read more

• BP’s US refining business returns to profit (27 July 2010)
BP's US refining and marketing operations swung back to profit in the second quarter as refinery margins recovered from 15-year lows. The company's refining division as a whole made a profit before tax and interest but accounting for inventory effects of just over $2bn. Inventory gains amounted to $255mn... >> read more

• BP to begin static kill, drill into Macondo next week (26 July 2010)
BP will be in position to begin pumping mud into the top its Macondo well by the start of next week – a procedure dubbed the “static kill” – and can start drilling into the bottom of the Macondo well's outer casing five days after that, the US government said today... >> read more

• Executive decision (Petroleum Argus, 26 July 2010)
BP’s progress in capping the leaking Macondo oil well in the Gulf of Mexico signals the end of the beginning of the crisis for the company... >> read more

• BP starts asset sell-off (Petroleum Argus, 26 July 2010)
BP is well on the way towards meeting its expanded $10bn asset disposal target, to support a planned $20bn escrow account to meet liabilities related to its Macondo oil spill in the US Gulf of Mexico... >> read this story in full

• BP prepares Macondo well in US Gulf for tropical storm (23 July 2010)
BP began preparing to move vessels away from the site of its Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico last night because of potential adverse weather associated with tropical storm Bonnie, US national incident commander Thad Allen said... >> read more

• Storm will delay BP relief well drilling-Update (22 July 2010)
A tropical storm expected to pass through the site of BP's Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico this weekend could delay progress on plugging the well for almost two weeks, and in the meantime the US government has authorized the company to keep in place a cap currently halting the flow of oil... >> read more

• Cap will remain on Macondo during storm, US says (22 July 2010)
The cap keeping oil from flowing from BP's Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico will stay in place as an expected tropical storm passes over the well site this weekend, the US government said today... >> read more

• BP monitors tropical wave, anticipates static kill (21 July 2010)
The US government said today that a “static kill” procedure to pump mud into BP's leaking Macondo well to stop the flow of oil could begin as soon as this weekend even though it has not yet been officially sanctioned, while the company confirmed it has set a storm plug in place on the relief well that is being drilled to intercept Macondo in case that effort needs to be temporarily abandoned due to the tropical wave moving into the US Gulf of Mexico... >> read more

• BP to move forward with ‘static kill’ if US OKs (20 July 2010)
BP said today it will move forward with a “static kill” procedure meant to halt the flow of oil from its Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico once the US government gives approval... >> read more

• BP explores “static kill” option as it monitors well (19 July 2010)
BP is exploring a new procedure dubbed “static kill” for the Macondo well if results from the well integrity test continue to remain positive, BP said today... >> read more

• BP feels more Macondo pressure (Petroleum Argus, 19 July 2010)
BP stopped all oil leaking from its US Gulf Macondo well on 15 July, and initiated a 6-48hr pressure related integrity test that could determine whether the well remains shut... >> read this story in full

• BP tests continue amid ‘seepage’ and anomalies (19 July 2010)
BP continued testing a new cap over its troubled Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico, even as the government's top official over the spill called for vigilance after seepage was detected nearby and anomalies were detected at the wellhead... >> read more

• BP halts flow of crude from leaking US well (16 July 2010)
BP has stopped all oil leaking from its Macondo well into the US Gulf of Mexico and begun an integrity test that could determine whether the well could remain shut, the company said..... >> read more

• BP stops Macondo well test after leak-Update (15 July 2010)
BP is ready to restart an integrity test of its leaking Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico today after a leak developed in a choke line on the well's cap last night, a US official said..... >> read more

• US orders BP to move forward with integrity test (14 July 2010)
The US has ordered BP to move forward with an integrity test of its leaking Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico, after ordering a last-minute 24-hour delay yesterday afternoon because of concerns that the operation could force oil out through new parts of the well.... >> read more

• Macondo well test delayed—Update (14 July 2010)
BP's integrity test of its leaking Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico failed to start yesterday as expected, delaying up to two days' worth of progress on the first relief well meant to permanently halt the flow of oil.s.... >> read more

• BP to test Macondo well cap today (13 July 2010)
The new capping stack with three closing rams to seal the flow of oil was installed yesterday evening local time, the company said. During today's test all three rams will be closed. The vessels gathering and storing the proportion of the leaking oil that could be captured will suspend operations.... >> read more

• BP to attach new Macondo cap today (12 July 2010)
BP expects to install atop its leaking Macondo well later today a new cap that can seal off the flow of oil completely and help determine the condition of the blown-out well's casing as soon as tomorrow, the company said.... >> read more

• BP chief continues global tour (7 July 2010)
BP chief executive Tony Hayward arrived today in the Mideast Gulf after spending yesterday in Azerbaijan where he met the country's president Ilham Aliyev and “reiterated BP's commitment to Azerbaijan”... >> read more

• Moratorium drives drillers’ urge to merge (5 July 2010)
Oil service firms and drilling contractors are re-examining the deepwater landscape in the wake of BP’s Macondo oil spill in the US Gulf of Mexico... >> read more

• Majors reassess deepwater opportunities (5 July 2010)
The majors are reassessing their global deepwater development plans as they size up the impact of the US moratorium
on new deepwater drilling... >> the full story is available here

• Disposals shake BP to the non-core (5 July 2010)
BP may look to the progress of rival ConocoPhillips’ $10bn divestment programme as it seeks to yield maximum value from its own plan to sell $10bn of non-core assets... >> read this story in full

• BP’s oil dispersant not very toxic, EPA says (2 July 2010)
All eight dispersants available to help break up spilled oil in the US Gulf of Mexico do not appear to be significantly toxic, and the brand BP is using among the least toxic, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said today... >> read more

• BP says expanded Macondo recovery in place 8 July (1 July 2010)
BP will have in place by 8 July a third production vessel recovering oil at its leaking Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico, following a delay because of Hurricane Alex, the company said today... >> read more

• BP raises containment rate despite Alex (30 June 2010)
BP recovered a larger amount of oil yesterday from its leaking Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico, even as tropical storm Alex strengthened into a hurricane, bringing high winds and waves that halted other response operations... >> read more

• BP contains 23,395 bl from Macondo well (29 June 2010)
Oil major BP recovered 23,395 bl from its leaking Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico yesterday, the company said... >> read more

• Storm will slow BP progress on spill containment (28 June 2010)
Tropical storm Alex will delay the 25,000 b/d expansion of BP's Macondo well production system by up to a week, the company said today... >> read more

• Oil firms, IEA warn of regulatory risk (Petroleum Argus, 28 June 2010)
Oil firms heavily exposed to deepwater oil production are gauging the likely impact of increased regulation in the wake of BP’s fatal Deepwater Horizon disaster in the US Gulf of Mexico... >> the full story is available here

• Legal battle grows over US drilling moratorium (Petroleum Argus, 28 June 2010)
US interior secretary Ken Salazar plans to impose a new drilling moratorium, after a federal judge issued an injunction blocking President Barack Obama’s previously announced six-month ban on deepwater drilling... >> read more

• A safer bet (Petroleum Argus, 28 June 2010)
US environmental concerns are threatening the shale gas revolution. Scare stories over hydraulic fracturing, commonly
known as “fracking”, in shale gas are at fever pitch. The Macondo oil spill has heightened the hysteria... >> read this story in full

• Storm could halt BP’s spill operations for two weeks (25 June 2010)
An approaching storm could halt BP's containment and drilling operations at its Macondo well for a 14-day window, leaving an estimated 35,000-60,000 b/d of oil gushing unimpeded into the US Gulf of Mexico. .... >> read more

• BP relief well has Macondo in sight (25 June 2010)
A drilling operation meant to stop the source the massive oil spill US Gulf of Mexico has successfully detected BP's Macondo well more than 16,000 ft below the water's surface, the company said .... >> read more

• Salazar Senate Democrat spar over drilling ban-Update (24 June 2010)
US interior secretary Ken Salazar repeated his commitment to keeping some sort of deepwater drilling moratorium in place, fending off pleas for more information from a fellow Democrat during a Senate committee hearing in Washington, DC, today.... >> read more

• BP replaces cap on Macondo well - Update 2 (24 June 2010)
BP reinstalled the containment cap system on its leaking Macondo well's blowout preventer stack late yesterday, after an apparent collision with a remotely operated vehicle forced its removal earlier in the day... >> read more

• Oil spill may accelerate single-hull tanker removals (24 June 2010)
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the US Gulf of Mexico may accelerate the removal of single-hull tankers as more stringent government-led regulations on oil services, drilling and shipping are likely to come into effect, industry experts said at the Marine Money conference in New York today.... >> read more

• BP removes cap from spewing Gulf well-Update (23 June 2010)
Oil major BP has removed the containment cap used to collect oil from its leaking Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico, after a possible run-in with one of the several remotely operated vehicles in the area closed a vent on the cap and backed up a line of warm water that helps prevent ice-like hydrate crystals from plugging the system... >> read more about BP's latest activity here

•BP raises daily Macondo intake to 27,090 b/d (23 June 2010)
Oil major BP recovered 27,090 bl yesterday from its Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico, the largest amount recovered from the containment system in a single day, and the next delivery of oil from the well is expected to reach the Houston Ship Channel soon... >> read this story in full

• Homeland security (Petroleum Argus, 21 June 2010)
The White House has talked BP into funding a $20bn escrow account to cover liability claims associated with the fatal Deepwater Horizon rig disaster and oil spill in the US Gulf of Mexico. For President Barack Obama, the fund represents security for the homeland in the context of an assault on US shores by oil. For oil companies, it shows how political risk is as high in the US as in Venezuela or Russia... >> read the full story here

• BP drops dividend to fill $20bn fund (Petroleum Argus, 21 June 2010)
BP will sell $10bn in assets, cut capital expenditure and forego dividend payments as it scrambles to deposit $20bn into an escrow account to handle claims associated with the fatal Deepwater Horizon rig disaster and oil spill in the US Gulf of Mexico... >> the full story is available here

• Majors distance themselves from BP (Petroleum Argus, 21 June 2010)
US majors are seeking to distance themselves from BP's alleged deepwater operating standards. But they criticise the administration's deepwater drilling moratorium, and question some of its new drilling safety plans... >> read this story in full

• Operators seek options for idle US Gulf rigs (Petroleum Argus, 21 June 2010)
The six-month moratorium on new deepwater US Gulf drilling has prompted a wave of drilling rig force majeure notifications, and may trigger an exodus of rigs from the area... >> read the rest of the story here