"A Whale" fails

The massive oil skimmer "A Whale" has proven inefficient in sucking up oil in the Gulf of Mexico spill. The oil is too dispersed to take advantage of the converted Taiwanese supertanker's enormous capacity, said Bob Grantham, a spokesman for shipowner TMT. The 10-story-tall, 1,100-foot-long ship boasted it could process 21 million gallons oily water a day. (Source: New Orleans Times-Picayune, 07/16/10) The Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, killing 11 workers. Oil had been leaking into the Gulf of Mexico until it was capped during the week. Officials are still monitoring the cap to ensure it's working.