Admiral: Impossible to estimate size of oil leak

VENICE, La. - The new commander heading the effort against a massive oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico said Saturday it was impossible to estimate the size of the leak pouring into the water.

"Any exact estimate is probably impossible at this time," Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said, adding the focus would be stopping the flow from at least three leaks, about 5,000 feet below the surface, as well as on cleanup efforts of the oil, now lapping the Louisiana shore. Depending on the weather, more significant amounts of oil are expected to hit Gulf state shores within 48 to 72 hours, he said.

The four-star admiral and Coast Guard commandant, best known for heading relief work after Hurricane Katrina, was named to head the oil spill effort Saturday. President Barack Obama planned to visit the Gulf Coast region Sunday as criticism mounts that the government and BP should have done more to prevent the escalating disaster.

Academics and consultants say the leak is growing and is perhaps three times larger than previously thought. The amount of oil leaked since the April 20 fire and explosion on the Transocean Deepwater Horizon drilling rig may already be about 10 million gallons, they said, and growing. The Exxon Valdez spill was about 10.8 million gallons.

Hans Graber, head of the University of Florida's Center for Southeastern Tropical Advanced Remote Sensing told The Associated Press: "The spill and the spreading is getting so much faster and expanding much quicker than they estimated."

Federal officials said two offshore production platforms in the Gulf were shut down as a safety precaution and more could follow - the first sign the giant oil slick was affecting the region's energy production. Analysts said the spill was well east and north of the heart of the region's oil and gas production, which accounts for about 15 percent of U.S. natural gas supply and provides 25 percent of crude oil output.