Outside claims that oil flow from the exploded Gulf of Mexico oil rig is 10 times that cited by the company are not accurate, British oil producer BP has said.

MarketWatch reported on Friday that BP has said that the alleged high rate of flow based on the width of the 19.5-inch pipe are faulty because there was a narrowing within the pipe of about 30 percent in the accident, and the flow has been cut down an additional 10 percent, it says, from a broken drill pipe inside the riser. Additionally, about half of the flow from the pipe is natural gas, they say, and not oil.

The Houston Chronicle also reported that adding to the confusion, BP backed off on its statement the company's cleanup effort was sucking up about 5,000 barrels per day.

Doug Suttles, BP's chief operation officer, said in a conference call Friday afternoon, "We never said it produced 5,000 barrels a day. I am sorry if you heard it that way."

The Chronicle also said that nationwide media based the 5,000 figure on interviews with BP officials who allegedly did not dispute it until Friday.

The figure was 2,000 barrels a day, Suttles said.

A Flow Rate Technical Team has been set up by the U. S. government to determine a more precise estimate of the flow, BP said, involving the Coast Guard, Energy Department, Minerals Management Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

MarketWatch also said that BP is imposing a mandate on itself to produce a report by close of business on Saturday.

It was further reported that the White House Thursday called on BP to keep it updated on the spill, which occurred after the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded April 20, killing 11 people before sinking in the gulf. (With Inputs from Agencies)