Tony Hayward

“Mr Hayward also said it would be another two days before BP knew whether it had plugged the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.”

“It will be a further 48 hours before the system can be optimised,”

“We've identified... at least seven.”

“a day or two”

“This will be a key part of the process of restoration, and for improving the industry response capability for the future,”

“Mr Hayward said the company had already spent more than $1bn (£686m) on dealing with the spill, and expected to continue spending at this rate until some time after the leak is stopped.”

“He added that it would be another two days before BP knew whether it had plugged the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. 'It will be a further 48 hours before the system can be optimised,' he said...”

“BP could know within the next 12 to 24 hours if the capping effort would succeed.”

“In an email to BP staff, the company's chief executive, Tony Hayward, called the explosion, in which 11 rig workers are missing and presumed dead, 'a tragic disaster'.”

“for the three years he had been in his post”

“I think it is a tragedy of the first proportion that a private corporation can be subjected to what I would characterise as a shakedown, a $20bn shakedown.”

“With due respect, we drill hundreds of wells around the world.”

“Of the seven control mechanisms under scrutiny, four involve the blowout preventer - owned by Transocean - and the other three the cementing and casing of the wellhead, which was the responsibility o…”

“A containment cap on a ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico is now funnelling off 10,000 barrels of oil a day”

“The amount has risen since Saturday, and implies more than half the estimated 12,000 to 19,000 barrels leaking each day is now being captured.”

“BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward has put the operation's chance of success at 60-70%.”