Brazil official: Oil leak bigger than thought (AP)

RIO DE JANEIRO ? The Rio de Janeiro state environment minister says an offshore oil spill is bigger than oil company Chevron is stating.

But Environment Minister Carlos Minc isn't saying how much oil he thinks has been dumped in the Atlantic ocean 230 miles (370 kilometers) northeast of Rio de Janeiro.

The leak started a week ago at a well owned by Chevron. The company says that between 400 and 650 barrels leaked.

Brazil's National Petroleum Agency says it thinks 1,000 barrels leaked ? and that it's not clear if the leak has stopped.

Minc tells Globo TV that he thinks the spill is "much bigger" than those estimates.

He says the government expects to soon release satellite images showing the extent of the spill.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/environment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111118/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_brazil_oil_spill

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