5,220 - The depth in metres beneath the sea surface that BP drilled to intercept the Macondo well bore and complete the "bottom kill," the permanent seal on the rogue well. The total drilling depth, including the diagonal length from the drill ship to the well, is 5,448 metres, equivalent to the vertical rise of Mount McKinley, the tallest peak in North America.
4.9 million - The number of barrels that was released from the Macondo blowout, according to the U.S. government. The well spewed an average of 58,140 barrels a day over the 86 days that it remained uncapped, which would make it one of the most prolific oil wells in the Gulf. A government study said the crude degraded more quickly than had been expected. Six weeks ago, it estimated that only 26 per cent of the oil - or 1.27 million barrels - remained in the sea, with the rest either captured, dissolved, evaporated or dispersed into smaller molecules. But scientists are now reporting evidence of oil coating the sea floor for several kilometres around the well.
1.8 million - The number of gallons of chemical dispersant used by BP to break down the oil and prevent it from reaching the coastline. Many environmentalists and scientists complain the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved the use of the dispersants without knowing what the long-term effects would be on aquatic life. The EPA says the chemicals used were less toxic than the oil itself.
$9.5-million - The amount BP is paying the Florida Institute for Oceanography for 27 research projects examining the effects of the oil spill on the ocean environment. It received 230 research proposals totalling $100-million. William Hogarth, a marine scientist at South Florida University, said it will take three years to assess the spill's effect on sea life. Early studies are already reporting stress on algae, the critical base of the ocean food chain.
3,634 - The number of dead birds that have been collected by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, which also took in 1,042 live birds that were coated with oil. The largest number of fatalities occurred among laughing gulls, brown pelicans and northern gannets. The Gulf of Mexico is a major wintering ground for many northern species. Scientists will be monitoring the long-term impact of the oil spill on the health of bird populations.
$1.8-billion - The estimated amount in U.S. dollars by which rig operators cut their spending as a result of a six-month moratorium on deep-water drilling, according to the U.S. government. Politicians from Gulf Coast states have been demanding the Obama administration end the moratorium, saying it is imposing further damage on their economies, which were already battered by recession and the spill itself. The U.S. government calculated the six-month work stoppage - due to expire on Nov. 30 - will cause a temporary loss of up to 12,000 jobs in the Gulf region. The industry says the moratorium, and tough new regulations being adopted, will result in the permanent loss of jobs and much needed supplies of domestic oil.
300 - Not surprisingly in the litigious United States, there have been more than 300 class-actions suits filed against BP, including claims from restaurants in New Orleans, several states' attorneys-general, and seafood companies. BP has said it will pay all "reasonable claims," but plaintiffs are also seeking punitive damages. The company has already paid $540-million in claims, and has set aside $20-billion (U.S.) in an escrow account to cover what will doubtless be one of the most expensive and complicated legal proceedings in U.S. history. The company also faces multibillion-dollar fines and possible criminal charges related to the spill.
$8-billion - The U.S. sum that BP has already spent on capping the well, cleaning up the oil and responding to claims. The response effort involved 27,726 people and 2,295 vessels. The company will continues to pay costs associated with the clean-up, and will face associated bills for the next several months. The London-based company took a $17-billion loss in the second quarter but is likely to return to profitability in the three-month period that ends Sept. 30.