Latest updates and pictures from the BP oil spill

The weekend saw a mix of good and bad news on the BP oil spill front.  On the positive side, Tropical Storm Alex will in all likelihood miss the oil spill and die off after making impact in Mexico.  On the negative, the leak continues to gush out anywhere from 10,000 to 35,000 barrels of oil per day.  The growing size of the spill is directly hitting more areas along the Gulf Coast as the pictures below illustrate.  Here are the latest updates from the Gulf Coast oil spill.  Pictures from the disaster can be seen below.

-  BP's containment operation is now consistently capturing over 20,000 barrels each day.  On Saturday the company claims to have captured or flared a total of 22,750 barrels.  The first 12 hours of Sunday saw 7,935 barrels collected and 4,075 barrels flared.  The total amount of oil leaking is still projected to be anywhere from 35,000 to 60,000 barrels of oil.  By the end of the week BP hopes to add a third vessel to the containment effort which may increase capacity to 53,000 barrels per day.

-  Tropical Storm Alex moved over the Yucatan peninsula and will now head into the Gulf of Mexico.  There some forecasts have it strengthening into a hurricane before coming ashore in Mexico.  At this time, it appears the storm system will not directly impact the BP oil spill which is good new for the relief effort.  Click here for the most recent projection of the storm system.

-  For the first time oil is now coming ashore in Mississippi due to the prevailing winds of the area.  Previously, the state had only seen "tar balls" come across their shores.  Mississippi now reluctantly joins Florida, Alabama, and Louisiana in the group of states impacted by heavy oil.

-  BP's total cost for the spill now exceed $2.65 billion dollars.  The total costs are expected to far exceed that, especially when the $20 billion escrow account is factored in the equation.

-  The most recent projection of the oil spill has it impacting a large area across the Gulf Coast.  Generally, the spill has tended to shift north and east over the past few days and that trend appears to be continuing with these projections.