Almost half a million gallons of oil a day from the Gulf of Mexico well is now being prevented from spilling into the sea.
The cap on the damaged BP well stopped 462,000 gallons yesterday, the Coast Guard admiral overseeing the US government's response to the spill said yesterday.
That was up from about 441,000 gallons on Saturday and about 250,000 on Friday.
The ruptured pipe is leaking between 500,000 and a million gallons a day.
BP said that the cost of the response has reached about $1.25 billion, not including $360 million to build six sand berms meant to protect Louisiana's wetlands from spreading oil.
It was not clear how much oil was still escaping from the well. The inverted funnel-like cap is being closely watched for whether it can make a serious dent in the flow of new oil.
Adm. Thad Allen said at the White House that engineers hope to increase the amount that is collected at the surface. BP is anticipating moving another ship into the area to help move the collected oil.
Adm. Allen also said the battle against the oil already in the Gulf now involves "hundreds of thousands" of individual patches. Small vessels in the area have been enlisted to help capture those patches using skimmers, he said.
He said that "dealing with the oil spill on the surface will take a couple of months" but that the process of getting oil out of marshlands and other habitats "will be years".
The White House said that penalties eventually levelled against BP would be based on how much oil has been spilled, and the government will use its own figures.
Adm. Allen said BP needed to make improvements on getting money to individuals and businesses who have been harmed by the spill. "We'd like them to get better at claims," Adm. Allen said.
Individuals have begun to get partial payments, but the government is pushing for that to be made routine so that people know to expect regular cheques.
Business claims require more complicated documentation and processing, they are going slower and government officials were meeting with BP to try to speed it up.
In Florida, tar balls continued to roll onto Pensacola Beach and left a distinct line in the sand.
Jody Haas, a tourist, was among the few walking the beach after a crowded weekend there. Ms Haas, who had visited the beach before, said it was not the same.
"It was pristine, gorgeous, white sand," she said. "This spot is light compared to some of the other spots farther down and (the tar) is just everywhere here. It's just devastating, awful."
Later President Barack Obama sought to reassure Americans that the Gulf Coast would "bounce back" from the worst oil spill in US history, but not without time, effort and reimbursement from BP.
Surrounded by Cabinet members, President Obama said that not only is he confident that the crisis will pass but also that the affected area "comes back even stronger than ever".