BP has revealed that the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico had cost it almost USD 1 billion, sparking a 13-per cent plunge in its shares after the latest attempt to fix the leaking well failed.

At its lowest point, the British energy giant's share price dropped nearly 17 per cent on the day, but it recovered slightly to close at 430 pence, down 13.1 per cent. The sell-off wiped more than USD 17.6 billion off its market value -- its biggest one-day shares fall for 18 years.