NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Oil has stopped spewing into the Gulf of Mexico, but BP remains unusually vulnerable to the prospect of U.S. gas stations defecting to other brands.

In interviews with The Associated Press, station owners from Wisconsin to Virginia say BP dealers are being courted by other brands or are approaching them on their own.

While the practice is common in such a competitive business, owners say it has become more frequent since the April 20 offshore rig explosion and spill that tarnished BP's image and led some customers to go elsewhere for gas.

BP is expected to detail its strategy to repair its brand when it meets with hundreds of fuel distributors next week in suburban Washington.