BP losing US Gulf oil spill battle

British energy group BP says it is capturing far less crude than expected from the huge Gulf of Mexico oil spill, which had so far cost the company $US760 million.

British energy group BP says it is capturing far less crude than expected from the huge Gulf of Mexico oil spill, which had so far cost the company $US760 million.

"The cost of the response to date amounts to about $US760 million ($A914.45 million), including the cost of the spill response, containment, relief well drilling, grants to the Gulf states, claims paid and federal costs," BP said in a statement.

"It is too early to quantify other potential costs and liabilities associated with the incident." The latest estimate of costs compared with previous guidance of $US625 million ($A752.02

million).

Earlier on Monday, the US government threatened to take over the response to slick, as pressure mounted on BP to get control of the month-old environmental disaster.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says if it is found that BP isn't doing what it's supposed to be to repair the damage from the Deepwater Horizon, authorities will push the firm out of the way.

Environmental disaster

He has lashed out at BP for missing deadline after deadline, with its latest attempt to cap the leak hit with further delays.

The troubled company revealed on Monday that it had retrieved between 1,360-3,000 barrels of oil per day last week from a tube inserted into the leak.

BP had estimated last Thursday that it was capturing 5,000 barrels (954,500 litres) per day but revised this down to 2,200 barrels (41,980 litres) over the weekend.

The company added that it had now skimmed around 243,000 barrels (46,170,000 litres) of oily liquid from the surface of the water.

Even at the lowest estimates, more than six million gallons (22,500,000 litres) of crude have entered Gulf waters since the BP-operated Deepwater Horizon rig sank on April 22, two days after an explosion that claimed 11 workers' lives.

Independent experts have warned that the true size of the spill could be at least ten times higher.