GRAND ISLE, La. (AP) -- BP said Thursday it plans to boost its ability to capture the oil gushing from a ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico by early next week as the Obama administration announced that the oil giant agreed to speed up payments to people whose livelihoods have been washed away by the spill. At the bottom of the sea, the containment cap on the leaking well is capturing 630,000 gallons a day and pumping it to a ship at the surface, and the amount could nearly double by next week to roughly 1.17 million gallons, the Coast Guard has said. The government has estimated 600,000 to 1.2 million gallons are leaking per day, but a scientist on a task force studying the flow said the actual rate may be between 798,000 gallons and 1.8 million. A second vessel expected to arrive within days should greatly increased capacity. BP also plans to bring in a tanker from the North Sea to help transport oil and an incinerator to burn off some of the crude. (29 images)
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Oil covered brown pelicans found off the Louisiana coast and affected by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico wait in a holding pen for cleaning at the Fort Jackson Oiled Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Buras, Louisiana, June 9, 2010. AFP / Getty Images / Saul Loeb
A flare burns from a drill ship recovering oil from the ruptured British Petroleum (BP) oil well over the site in the Gulf of Mexico on June 9, 2010 off the coast of Louisiana. The spill has been called the largest environmental disaster in American history. As the oil continues to spread, officials have announced a ban on swimming along a six-mile stretch of Florida beach. Getty Images / Spencer Platt
Activity at the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana coast is seen Wednesday, June 9, 2010. AP / Charlie Riedel
Gas is flared off on the Discovery Enterprise drilling ship which is collecting oil at the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana coast Wednesday, June 9, 2010. AP / Charlie Riedel
Oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill pools against the Louisiana coast along Barataria Bay Tuesday, June 8, 2010. AP / Charlie Riedel
An oil sheen is seen near the site of the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico Tuesday, June 8, 2010. The cap over the broken BP wellhead is collecting more gushing crude day by day, but that's about the extent of the details known as authorities try to pinpoint how much oil is escaping, where it's going and what harm it will cause. AP / Dave Martin
In this Monday, June 7, 2010 photo, APTN photographer Rich Matthews takes a closer look at oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill, in the Gulf of Mexico south of Venice, La. AP / Eric Gay
Workers use a suction hose to remove oil washed ashore from the Deepwater Horizon spill on Wednesday, June 9, 2010, in Belle Terre, La. AP / Eric Gay
Workers prepare to lay snare boom used remove oil washed ashore from the Deepwater Horizon spill, Wednesday, June 9, 2010, in Belle Terre, La. AP / Eric Gay
Workers collect used snare boom used remove oil washed ashore from the Deepwater Horizon spill and prepare to lay new on Wednesday, June 9, 2010, in Belle Terre, La. AP / Eric Gay
Workers collect snare boom used remove oil washed ashore from the Deepwater Horizon spill, Wednesday, June 9, 2010, in Belle Terre, La. AP / Eric Gay
Oil cleanup workers look for tar balls on the beach in Orange Beach, Ala., Wednesday, June 9, 2010. Large amounts of the oily tar balls have started washing up on Orange Beach and the beaches in the western Florida panhandle. AP / Dave Martin
Workers clean up oil patches and tar that washed up on the beach from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on June 8, 2010 in Orange Beach, Alabama. Early reports indicate that BP's latest plan to stem the flow of oil from the site of the Deepwater Horizon incident may be having some sucess. Getty Images / Joe Raedle
Marine reef ecologist Scott Porter works to remove oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill off his hands, Monday, June 7, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico south of Venice, La. AP / Eric Gay
The inlet to Destin, Fla., was busy on Monday, June 7, 2010 despite fears of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The area is bracing for the possibility that oil will soil their white beaches and impact local businesses. Orlando Sentinel / George Skene
Brannon Harrison of Gulf Shores, Ala., puts out chair pads and umbrellas as oil cleanup workers pick up tar balls along the beach in Orange Beach, Ala., Wednesday, June 9, 2010. Large amounts of the oily tar balls have started washing up on Orange Beach and the beaches in the western Florida panhandle. AP / Dave Martin
Chuck Lamb of Clarksdale, Miss., applies sun tan oil as oil cleanup workers clean tar balls off the beach in Orange Beach, Ala., Wednesday, June 9, 2010. Large amounts of the oily tar balls have started washing up on Orange Beach and the beaches in the western Florida panhandle. AP / Dave Martin
Workers look for oil-impacted wildlife on East Grand Terre Island, La. Tuesday, June 8, 2010 as clean up work continues in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. AP / Charlie Riedel
Two brown pelicans fly along the coast as oil continues to wash ashore from the Deepwater Horizon spill, Wednesday, June 9, 2010 in Grand isle, La. AP / Eric Gay
A White Ibis tries to shake oil off at an unnamed island in Barataria Bay off the coast of Louisiana Tuesday, June 8, 2010. The bird was oiled by the Deepwater Horizon spill in the gulf of Mexico. AP / Charlie Riedel
Bird rescuers work in teams to pick up numerous oiled pelicans from Queen Bess Island, Louisiana, Monday, June 7, 2010. Los Angeles Times / Carolyn Cole
Bird rescuers work in teams to pick up numerous oiled pelicans from Queen Bess Island, Louisiana, Monday, June 7, 2010. Los Angeles Times / Carolyn Cole
Oil covered brown pelicans found off the Louisiana coast and affected by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico wait in a holding pen for cleaning at the Fort Jackson Oiled Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Buras, La., June 9, 2010. AFP / Getty Images / Saul Loeb
Volunteers move an oil covered brown pelican found off the Louisiana coast and affected by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill to a holding pen while it awaits cleaning at the Fort Jackson Oiled Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Buras, La., June 9, 2010. AFP / Getty Images / Saul Loeb
Volunteers clean an oil covered brown pelican found off the Louisiana coast and affected by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico at the Fort Jackson Oiled Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Buras, La., June 9, 2010. AFP / Getty Images / Saul Loeb
Volunteers clean an oil covered brown pelican found off the Louisiana coast and affected by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico at the Fort Jackson Oiled Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Buras, Louisiana, June 9, 2010. AFP / Getty Images / Saul Loeb
Veterinarians clean an oil covered brown pelican found off the Louisiana coast and affected by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill at the Fort Jackson Oiled Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Buras, La., June 9, 2010.AFP / Getty Images / Saul Loeb
Brown pelicans that were covered in oil and found off the Louisiana coast and affected by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico wait in a holding pen after being cleaned at the Fort Jackson Oiled Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Buras, La., June 9, 2010. AFP / Getty Images / Saul Loeb
A dredge machine works on Friday, June 4, 2010, in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, where new berms are being constructed in a bid to halt the damage of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Los Angeles Times / Carolyn Cole
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