Memos Confirm BP Hid Early Spill Estimates

Internal BP corporate memos dating back to the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon blowout show that the company was concerned about a spill rate much higher than what it publicly estimated at the time. The memos were released as part of federal court proceedings.

As finally estimated by a federal panel, the flow rate from the well was far higher than initial estimates suggested by BP and the Coast Guard.

• "BP Oil Spill: Emails Reveal Company Veiling Spill Rate," Associated Press, January 27, 2012, by Cain Burdeau.