'Beginning of end' of Gulf spill crisis

The White House has hailed the "beginning of the end" of efforts to contain the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

After months of setbacks in efforts to permanently plug the deepsea well, BP said heavy drilling mud injected into it on Tuesday was stemming the flow of crude.

The energy giant, which has lost about 40 per cent of its market value and seen its image badly tarnished by the disaster, called it a "significant milestone."

US President Barack Obama said: "The long battle to stop the leak and contain the oil is finally close to coming to an end."

A team of government scientists said about 50 per cent of the spilled oil had been captured, evaporated, burned or skimmed, while another quarter had been naturally or chemically dispersed.

The White House welcomed a report that showed pollution from the Gulf oil spill was less than many initially had feared, but said it owed no apology to outgoing BP chief executive Tony Hayward.