Mr Burnett said the results raised questions about stocks of tope - an inshore shark commonly found in British coastal waters - in the area.

BBC: Tope shark

The potential for discovery is enormous especially because all the majors left the Gulf of Mexico to seek oil and gas reserves outside U.S. Coastal waters in the belief that whatever was in the Gulf to find had been found years or decades ago.

FORBES: McMoRan DeRisks the Ultra Deep As It Nears a Financial Bonanza