Deepwater Horizon oil spill 17 of whom were treated for injuries. The Deepwater Horizon sank on the morning of 22 April 2010. The oil leak was discovered on the afternoon of 22 April 2010 when a large oil slick began to spread at the former rig site. The oil flowed for 87 days. BP originally estimated a flow rate of . The Flow Rate Technical Group (FRTG) estimated the initial flow rate was . The total estimated volume of leaked oil approximated with plus or minus 10% uncertainty, including oil that was collected, making it the world's largest accidental spill. BP challenged the higher
Volume and extent of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of the spill. "With billions of dollars at stake, it is no surprise that they are now litigating the very numbers which they sought to impede." A BP spokesperson said that BP "fully intends to present its own estimate as soon as the information is available to get the science right." The oil's spread was initially increased by strong southerly winds caused by an impending cold front. By 25 April 2010, the spill covered and was only from the ecologically sensitive Chandeleur Islands. An 30 April 2010 estimate placed the total spread of the oil at . The spill quickly