US law agents learned from a BP memo that the company ignored test-drill warnings of possible disaster. Yesterday Congressional Investigators were told that a decision to continue work on the fatal Gulf of Mexico drilling (after a computer test warned of problems) was “a fundamental mistake”.

The document describes a disturbing range of mistakes in the hours leading up to the disaster. BP has now admitted they had ‘clear warning’ of a ‘very large abnormality’ in the well, but carried on regardless.

President Obama has been put under enormous Congressional pressure to increase the cap on oilco ecological fines. This revelation is bound to up the ante on that pressure still further.