Gulf oil spill: first underwater video footage of oil leak

BP finally releases video footage taken 1,500m below sea-level of oil leaking from the Deepwater Horizon spill



 BP's video footage of Gulf oil spill from Deepwater Horizon drilling rig.

After considerable pressure form the media and government agencies, BP tonight finally released a brief video showing for the first time the gushing stream of oil and gas leaking from the Deepwater Horizon oil rig into the Gulf of Mexico.

The video released by BP shows oil spewing from a broken pipe 5,000 feet (1,500m) below the surface. The stream of crude oil is interspersed with lighter-coloured natural gas.

The video was first posted on YouTube on Wednesday night by the Deepwater Horizon Incident Joint Information Centre, which said: "This video is from the larger of two existing leaks on the riser. This leak is located approximately 460 feet from the top of the blowout preventer and rests on the sea floor at a depth of about 5,000 feet."

The combined leaks are releasing an estimated 5,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico.