BP says costs of Gulf oil spill response have reached $2.65 billion

BP: Gulf oil spill costs have reached $2.65B

NEW ORLEANS — BP says the cost of the company’s response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has reached about $2.65 billion.

The company announced the updated total in a news release Monday. The costs include spill response, containment, relief well drilling, grants to Gulf states, claims paid, and federal costs.

BP says it has received more than 80,000 claims and made almost 41,000 payments, totaling more than $128 million.

BP says the figure does not include a $20 billion fund for Gulf damages it created this month.

Millions of gallons of oil have spilled since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana on April 20, killing 11 workers.