Well cap captures more oil, but outlook gloomy

The cap on the blown-out BP well in the Gulf of Mexico is capturing half a million gallons a day – anywhere from a third to three quarters of the oil spewing from the bottom of the sea, officials said today.

But the hopeful report was offset by a warning that the far-flung slick had broken up into hundreds or even thousands of patches of oil that may inflict damage that could persist for years.