(GR / 28-05-10)  Yet another proof of the lack of transparency of the company, in complicity with the Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, has revived in recent hours the frustration of the residents and fishermen, who yesterday also confirmed their worst fears: oil spill now exceeds 71 million litres.

According to estimates of the USGS U.S., the amount of oil spill is two to four times higher than the admitted officially so far, and possibly more than two times the one of Exxon Valdez disaster.

While BP and the Government assured that the operation “top Hill” was working, the device to stop the spill in the Gulf of Mexico injecting 25,000 kg of mud was actually in a deadlock.

The “recess” lasted 16 hours, but the company did not inform about it until Thursday afternoon, after having stopped the broadcast of live images citing problems in lens of the submarine cameras.

Obama is to arrive today to the affected area with the double mission of placating the anger of those affected by the spill and closely monitor the work of BP. The president is going to overfly the spill for the first time, an area similar to New Jersey (bad weather thwarted his first reconnaissance flight).

Despite the efforts of Obama to show that the government is “in charge of the situation,” what happened in the last 24 hours has returned to sow new doubts about BP's actions.

Admiral Thad Allen said Thursday morning that the operation “top kill” was “working according to plans.” Hours later, the Coast Guard commander Tony Russell lowered optimism and said that it was early to ensure that the system had achieved the objective of plugging the leak with mud.

The head of BP's operations Doug Shuttles finally reported that the viscous fluid injection stopped before Wednesday midnight. The company did not informed about the incident until 16 hours later, when the operation was resumed.

It was Thad Allen who said it had been a great success and changed his mind on Thursday afternoon from the operation centre in Venice, Louisiana: “We have to leave things go on and see what happens”.