BP has confirmed that the cost of the Gulf of Mexico spill had reached 1.6 billion dollars (£1.1 billion) so far as the oil giant weighs up demands to cut dividend payments.
The BP board is meeting in London to discuss deferring its second-quarter dividend to help fund the clean-up and compensation claims from the spill.
The company's latest update on the disaster said its containment cap on the leaking well had collected around 127,000 barrels so far.
BP - which came under heavy fire from US President Barack Obama last week for "nickel and diming" Gulf residents while planning big dividends for investors - added that it had paid 26,500 claims totalling 62 million US dollars (£42.3 million).
The firm's shares fell 2% on Monday after a 7% rise on Friday, but have slumped by more than a third overall since the crisis began two months ago.
The latest dividend, due in July, is expected to be worth around £1.7 billion, and BP has confirmed its directors will consider various options, including suspension of payment.
A cut would impact on UK pension funds which benefit from the dividend as well as hurting investors in the US, who hold around 40% of the company's shares.
Mr Obama is beginning a two-day visit to the Gulf Coast to view the damage from the massive slick and talk to affected residents.
