WASHINGTON, May 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama will travel to the oil spill area along the Gulf Coast Sunday morning, the White House said on Saturday.

White House spokesman Bill Burton made the announcement aboard Air Force One as Obama headed for Michigan to give a speech there.

Burton did not give details on the exact location of the planned visit, but said that only a small group will be involved in this trip to minimize disruption to the recovery effort.

An explosion occurred in Deepwater Horizon rig off the Louisiana coast last Tuesday, and 11 workers were missing and presumed dead. The rig sank after burning for 36 hours, and officials found oil was leaking last Saturday. Coast Guard said oil was leaking at a rate of 5,000 barrels a day.

The leak soon formed a giant slick, and oil began washing onto Louisiana shores Friday. Faced with environmental disaster, Louisiana and the federal government joined hands in trying to contain the spill. So far success has been elusive. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Environmental Protection Agency head Lisa Jackson flew down to Louisiana to survey the slick and containment efforts.