BP starts burning Gulf leak oil

BP started burning oil siphoned from a ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico today as part of its plans to more than triple the amount of crude it can stop from reaching the sea.

The company said oil and gas siphoned from the well is being drawn to a semi-submersible drilling rig on the ocean surface. Once the oil and gas reaches the rig, it is mixed with compressed air, shot down a specialised boom and ignited at sea.