Twitter spoof on BP public relations yields $10,000 donation for Gulf environmental nonprofit

BP Twitter spoof generates $10K for Gulf helpers

NEW ORLEANS — A spoof on BP’s oil spill public relations has brought in $10,000 for a nonprofit conservation group for the Gulf of Mexico

Gulf Restoration Network official Aaron Viles says the person who has been tweeting as “BPGlobalPR” put $10,000 into the organization’s PayPal account Wednesday. And Viles says there’s a promise of more if the tweeter’s T-shirts satirizing BP keep selling.

The mock BP Twitter account has gained nearly 104,000 followers since it started May 19 with the tweet, “We regretfully admit that something has happened off of the Gulf Coast. More to come.”

The creator has refused to be named in media interviews. He sells $25 T-shirts emblazoned with a black BP logo and the smudged words “bp cares.” He says all proceeds go to the Gulf Restoration Network.

Since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on April 20, eventually collapsing into the Gulf of Mexico, an estimated 20 million to 40 million gallons of oil has spewed, eclipsing the 11 million that leaked from the Exxon Valdez disaster. BP PLC leased the rig from owner Transocean Ltd.