Reuters ahead with progress on BP oil spill

Reuters provided clients with the first update on BPs latest attempt to halt a massive oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico on May 26 and unique insights into the companys control room as the operation proceeded. Reuters was the only text news service in BPs control room the day it started its top kill plan to shut in the well — far and away the most watched news story in the U.S. at the time. Reuters capitalised on this access to publish comments from BP CEO Tony Hayward, saying the operation was proceeding to plan and to write a colourful piece on the atmosphere in the crisis centre. Platts was first behind Reuters, a minute later, taking a feed from a TV station which was also present at Haywards briefing and Dow Jones was more than an hour behind. News that the top kill was going as expected helped boost BP`s shares 6 percent when they opened the following morning in London.