BP (NYSE:BP) Tarnished Image Getting Some Shine

BP (NYSE:BP) took a big hit to its brand and image when the Gulf oil spill and the resultant media coverage erupted across the world.

That has slowly began to change now that they've stopped the oil from leaking into the Gulf, and a permanent plugging of the well near at hand.

Another factor was the relatively small effects of the oil spill on the Gulf. The media and the Obama administration had hyped the damage so much that once the oil well stopped flowing, the results surprised most people with about 75 percent of the oil already having been removed naturally by the Gulf itself, or to a much lesser extent, by skimming the waters with ships.

Approval ratings for BP are over double what they were when they stood at an anemic 15 percent, according to an AP poll, which shows 33 percent of people approve of the job BP has been doing.