Containment bid capturing some oil, says BP

The update came as BP said the cost of clean-up and containment efforts has reached more than 1.6 billion dollars (1.1bn) so far.

This includes grants to Gulf states, claims paid to those affected and 360 million dollars (249m) in funds pledged for a Louisiana barrier islands construction project.

The group said the so-called "containment cap" procedure collected 10,500 barrels of oil in 24 hours during Saturday, with the rate expected to improve further over the coming days.

BP's cap - installed by robot submarines a mile below the sea surface last week - is still a long way short of capturing all of the oil from the leak, estimated at 12,000 to 19,000 barrels a day.

It is also working on two plans to boost the cap and said over the weekend that this method should eventually collect the "vast majority" of the leak, but admitted today that it would still be several days before the success of the project is known.

And fears are mounting for the clean-up operation as the hurricane season fast approaches.

US Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, who is overseeing the US government's response to the spill, warned that the battle to contain the oil is likely to stretch into the autumn.

He told US TV network CBS that, even after the leak is brought under control, "there will be oil out there for months to come".

"This will be well into the fall. This is a siege across the entire Gulf. This spill is holding everybody hostage, not only economically but physically. And it has to be attacked on all fronts," he said.