As of today, these are the number of Google search results (general Web, not News, Images, Blogs, etc.) for the BP oil spill versus the Exxon Valdez oil spill. As you can see below, BP is catching up to Exxon quickly despite the fact that the Valdez ran aground more than 20 years ago and well before Google even existed. And just like the amount of oil that’s been spilled, BP is likely to surpass Exxon in search results quickly as the disaster unfolds, undoubtedly aided by Google’s caffeinated search index.

The figures below are as “apples to apples” as possible and were derived from the top and/or most relevant auto-complete terms in the Google search box. Try it for yourself or just follow the links below.

24.8 Million vs. 60 Million

The first number is what you get if you run a Google Web search for BP oil spill while the second number is for Exxon oil spill.

Here are some more interesting stats:

28.5 Million vs. 41.5 Million

Gulf Oil Spill vs. Alaska Oil Spill

16.2 Million vs. 1.79 Million

BP Deepwater Horizon vs. Exxon Valdez

Image credit: NASA