U.S. President Barack Obama has pledged to do everything possible to prevent an "unprecedented environmental disaster" in the area around the Gulf of Mexico, which has been threatened by a massive oil spill.
"This is an assault in our nation's shore, and we're going to fight back with everything we've got," Obama was quoted by CNN as telling a crowd of soldiers and sailors at Pensacola Naval Air Station in Florida on Tuesday.
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said on Tuesday that from 5.5 million to 9.5 million liters (47,000-81,000 barrels) of oil gushed daily into the Gulf of Mexico following April's explosion at the Deepwater Horizon oil rig.
"This estimate brings together several scientific methodologies and the latest information from the sea floor, and represents a significant step forward in our effort to put a number on the oil that is escaping from BP's [British Petroleum's] well," he said.
Earlier, experts put the figure at 7.9 million liters (67,000 barrels) per day.
The Gulf of Mexico oil leak, which has posed a major threat to the gulf's flora and fauna, started in late April, when an explosion hit the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform, killing 11 rig workers.
BP, the owner of the rig about 80 kilometers (50 miles) off the Louisiana coast, has tried with little success to stem the flow of oil. It says it is now managing to gather about 10,000 barrels of oil a day using a special plugging device attached to the head of the drill to siphon oil up to surface ships.
Obama has sharply criticized BP, urging the company to contain the spill as soon as possible and expedite work to stop oil gushing.
BP said on Monday that it had already spent $1.6 billion to fight the consequences of April's explosion.
MOSCOW, June 16 (RIA Novosti)
