Gulf oil spill costs hit $A1.52 billion

BP says the cost of the company's response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico
has reached about $US1.25 billion ($A1.52 billion).
The company announced the total in a news release on Monday. BP says the figure
does not include $US360 million ($A438.49 million) for a project to build six sand
berms meant to protect Louisiana's wetlands from spreading oil.
The news comes as the government's spokesman on the spill warned that the battle to
contain the oil is likely to stretch into the second half of 2010.
Millions of gallons of oil have spilled since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded 80
kilometres off the coast of Louisiana on April 20, killing 11 workers.