Gulf Oil Spill Could Be 10 Times Larger Than Estimates, NPR Says

The amount of oil spewing from a ruptured well deep in the Gulf of Mexico could be at least 10 times larger than current estimates and almost certainly has far exceeded the oil spilled in the Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989, according to National Public Radio. NPR asked experts to examine video of the gusher of undersea oil, and they concluded that the oil released into the Gulf is much greater than the estimate of 5,000 barrels a day made by the U.S. government. One Purdue University expert, using a technique called particle image velocimetry that tracks particles and estimates their speed, said the broken pipe could be emitting roughly 70,000 barrels of oil per day. Another expert estimated that the burst well was likely gushing 20,0000 to 70,000 barrels of oil per day. The Exxon Valdez, which ran aground in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, spilled at least 250,000 barrels, causing huge environmental damage.