BP: Payments to residents and businesses hurt Gulf oil spill top $200M

BP: Payments top $200M for Gulf oil spill loses

NEW ORLEANS — BP says it’s paid out $201 million so far to individuals and businesses for economic losses from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

More than 32,000 claimants got one or more payments in the past 10 weeks. BP says the largest groups include fishermen, who’ve received $32 million, and shrimpers, who received $18 million.

More than 114,000 claims have been submitted so far, but nearly half didn’t have enough information for BP to make payment, the oil giant said Friday.

Individuals or businesses with questions about their claims should call their claims adjuster or the toll-free number 1-800-573-8249.

BP used a new cap to stop oil flowing into the water Thursday for the first time since the spill started with an April 20 explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig that killed 11 workers.