Seventy-four percent of the oil that leaked from the well that sank into the Gulf of Mexico in April has been collected, dispersed or evaporated, according to a government report released Wednesday.
The study, from agencies including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Department of the Interior, says of the total amount of oil that was spewed into the Gulf of Mexico (the most recent estimate is 205.8 million gallons), just 26 percent remains in the water, either on or just below the surface as light sheen and weathered tar balls.
The tar balls are either washing ashore, being collected from the coastlines, or buried in sand and sediment and are in the process of being degraded, the report said.
Full story: Damaged Gulf well appears shut down as water clears – CNN.com