There's more going on with BP (NYSE: BP) than you can shake a riser pipe at.

The Gulf of Mexico gusher that had been running rampant since April was essentially halted last week when a new cap was set atop the blown-out well. But on Monday, the federal government said oil was still seeping into the Gulf, in line with warnings that the cap's replacement could set off additional leaks.

Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, who has been overseeing the tragedy for the government, said the minimal amounts of oil, likely coming from the cap, appear inconsequential. In fact, they might just represent natural seepage of oil and gas, which occurs frequently at the bottom of the Gulf. The key is to control whatever oil seeps until the relief wells shut off the gusher permanently.

There are reports that the Transocean (NYSE: RIG) rig that burned and sank had a history of maintenance problems. Indeed, testimony before a joint hearing by the Coast Guard and a unit of the Department of Interior stated Monday that nearly a year ago an audit uncovered 390 maintenance jobs totaling 3,545 man hours were overdue. It was also disclosed in testimony that the rig's captain told a crew member to leave behind an injured crew member during the evacuation.

In the meantime, as The Wall Street Journal observed on Monday, the spill has put a target on BP's back. For instance, the Journal said, irate bloggers have referred to AT&T (NYSE: T) as the "BP of phone carriers," for its network issues, while Toyota (NYSE: TM) has been labeled the "BP of the car industry." This is the type of colloquial naming that makes repositioning BP’s brand in a positive light a very difficult, if not impossible, road to traverse for the company.

I awakened on Tuesday to the news that President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron were to meet amid difficulties created by BP concerns. The two heads of state were to discuss several issues, including the revived Lockerbie terrorism issues that I told you about last week. As a Reuters report noted, however, BP appears to have wounded the "special relationship" between our two countries.

But with rigs exiting the Gulf, the key difference between BP's tragedy and ExxonMobil's (NYSE: XOM) infamous Valdez spill of more than 20 years ago is that BP has set offshore drilling back 50 years, while Exxon's tragedy was more or less limited to one company. But Fools should note that Exxon has been revived to a position as likely the most respected member of Big Oil. BP has a long way to go before it can boast the same.