British oil giant BP said Tuesday it would donate net revenue from the oil it recovers from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

An adult American white pelican is rinsed by volunteers as part of the cleaning process at the Fort Jackson International Bird Rescue Research Center in Buras, Louisiana on June 19, 2010. The BP leased Deepwater Horizon oil platform exploded on April 20 and sank after burning. [Xinhua/Reuters]

BP said in a new release that it would provide 5 million U.S. dollars to the group immediately, "to ensure that their work can begin even as initial oil collections from the Discoverer Enterprise enter the refining process. "

"With its successful 25-year track record of identifying and funding solutions to America's toughest conservation challenges, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is a strong and responsible steward for this money from the wildlife fund," said Tony Hayward, BP's chief executive officer.

Jeff Trandahl, the executive director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, said the organization plans to direct the money "to projects that bring the greatest benefit to the wildlife of the affected Gulf Coast States."

A team of government scientists charged with studying the spill rate estimated that between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels a day are emanating from a ruptured underwater wellhead.

On June 21, BP collected a total of 25,830 barrels of oil from subsea containment systems on the well. About 15,560 barrels were collected and 10,270 barrels of oil were flared.

BP plans to stop the oil leak by August, when its two relief wells are completed.