HOUSTON (Reuters) - Tropical storm Alex slowed oil clean-up and containment efforts in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, with any permanent fix to BP Plc's ruptured deep-sea oil well still several weeks away.
More than 10 weeks into the crisis, oil still spews into the Gulf, clean-up work has had limited success, and a six-month U.S. moratorium on oil drilling is in limbo. Washington's attention also has been distracted by the recent firing of Afghan commander General Stanley McChrystal and the fate of a huge financial reform bill.