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The oil spill in April 20 in BP
On April 20,An explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, 52 miles (84km) south-east of Venice, Louisiana, kills 11 workers. Operator Transocean, under contract for BP, says it had no warning of trouble ahead of the blast. -
The oil spill in April 26 in BP
On April 26,In a reverse, officials reveal the well is leaking an estimated 1,000 barrels of oil per day and warn of environmental disaster. Meanwhile, BP sends undersea robots to the wellhead in an unsuccessful effort to activate the blowout preventer, a piece of heavy kit mounted on top of the well to stem the flow of oil. -
The oil spill in May 2 in BP
On May 2,President Obama makes his first trip to the Gulf Coast and says BP is responsible for the leak and for paying for its clean-up. "We're dealing with a massive and potentially unprecedented environmental disaster," he says. "The oil that is still leaking from the well could seriously damage the economy and the environment of our Gulf states. And it could extend for a long time. It could jeopardise the livelihoods of thousands of Americans who call this place home." -
The oil spill in July 22 in BP
On July 22,Dozens of vessels, including the rig drilling a relief well to permanently block the damaged well, are ordered to leave the site as Tropical Storm Bonnie approaches. BP warns that the final operation to plug the well could be delayed by up to two weeks by the storm. The capped well is to remain unmonitored for several days. Meanwhile, BP says it has been given permission to prepare for a "static kill" - pumping mud into the top of the well through the new cap - a step viewed as an i -
The oil spill in July 26 In BP
On July 26,The BBC reveals that 53-year old BP chief executive Tony Hayward will receive a year's salary plus benefits, together worth more than £1m, when he steps down. He will also be entitled to draw an annual pension of £600,000 once he reaches the age of 55. -
The oil spill in July 27 in BP
On July 27,BP confirms that chief executive Tony Hayward will leave his post by mutual agreement in October, but he is likely to retain a position in the company. BP plans to nominate him as a non-executive director of its Russian joint venture, TNK-BP. Mr Hayward's American colleague, Bob Dudley, who has taken charge of the clean-up operation, will replace him. Meanwhile, the oil giant's second quarter earnings are published, showing losses of $17bn for the three months between April and June -
The oil spill in August 3 in BP
On August 3,The US government says the oil spill is officially the biggest leak ever, with 4.9 million barrels of oil leaked before the well was capped last month. Scientists said only a fifth of the leaking oil - around 800,000 barrels - was captured during the clean-up operation. -
The oil spill in August 16 in BP
On August 16,The US announces that future applications for deepwater offshore drilling will require an environmental assessment, ending a practice that allowed BP's Deepwater Horizon rig to drill with little scrutiny. The White House said decision-making must be "fully informed" by knowledge of any potential environmental consequences. -
The oil spill in September 3 in BP
On September 3,The blowout preventer that failed to stop the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig is removed from the stricken Gulf of Mexico oil well by BP. The 300-ton device will be examined as part of the inquiry into the leak of 206m gallons of oil into the Gulf. -
The oil spill in September 5 in BP
On September 5,Thad Allen, the US coastguard official overseeing the clean-up operation, says the BP oil well at the centre of the leak poses "no further risk" to the environment, despite the final stages of an operation to pump concrete into a relief well remaining unfinished.
