SPANISH FORT, Ala. — The revamped oil spill claims process might have gotten off to a slow start, but by Friday night the value of claims paid out increased nearly eight-fold compared to the Gulf Coast Claims Facility’s first week of operation.

According to figures posted Friday on www.GulfCoastClaimsFacility.com, some 6,000 of 44,000 claimants had received payments totaling $47.4 million.

By comparison, the independent claims facility led by administrator Kenneth Feinberg had only paid out about $6 million to some 1,200 claimants during the first week of operation, figures Feinberg called “unacceptable.”

Marcus Reiley of Robertsdale is among the almost 40,000 people still waiting for a determination to be made on his claim, and while the latest figures are encouraging, the former seafood processing plant employee is skeptical he’ll have any better luck getting paid now that “responsible party” BP PLC is no longer in charge of the process.

“When Mr. Feinberg took over, he said we could expect payments within 48 hours of filing, and I’m still waiting more than a week later. I just don’t see where anything’s any different,” Reiley said.

Gulf Shores restaurant supplier David Pickens said he received payment for his business claims within the first week as promised by the new guidelines, though.

“I know there are still a lot of unhappy people, and we’re all a little put out for having to start (the claims process) all over again, but I do think the claims facility is doing what it was created to do,” Pickens said.