BP said Friday it reached a $7.8 billion deal to settle claims from fishermen and other private claimants affected by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill ahead of the start of a blockbuster US trial. The settlement does not affect what is anticipated to be tens of billions in fines and claims from the US government and the coastal states and local governments impacted by the spill. "From the beginning, BP stepped up to meet our obligations to the communities in the Gulf Coast region, and we've worked hard to deliver on that commitment for nearly two years," Bob Dudley, BP's chief executive officer said in a statement. "The proposed settlement represents significant progress toward resolving issues from the Deepwater Horizon accident and contributing further to economic and environmental restoration efforts along the Gulf Coast." The last-minute deal means the highly anticipated trial will be delayed once again after a week-long postponement was ordered Sunday in order to allow the talks to … [Read more...] about BP reaches $7.8 bln partial settlement in US oil spill trial
Us oil spill
US oil spill clean-up resumes in some areas
Clean-up work gathered speed in some areas of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill Sunday, but heavy swells kept many boats docked, halting efforts to fight the ecological disaster. A Taiwanese mega-skimmer dubbed the "A Whale" was in position near the site of the leak and set to undergo 48 hours of "proof of concept" testing, Coast Guard spokeswoman Ayla Kelley told AFP. The 300-yard (275-meter) long tanker can vacuum up 21 million gallons of oily water a day, separating oil from water and spitting the seawater back out. Small skimming boats that have been patrolling the Gulf for the past 10 weeks have only collected 28.2 million gallons of oily water to date, and rough weather made seas off Louisiana too choppy for them to even go out Saturday. Coast Guard Petty Officer Kelly Parker at a Houma, Louisiana information center said crews were resetting protective booms along fragile coastal areas, but skimming and controlled burns of spilled crude had been halted. However, around the Chandeleur … [Read more...] about US oil spill clean-up resumes in some areas
BP to pay record $4.5 bn fine over US oil spill
WASHINGTON - BP agreed Thursday to pay a record US$4.5 billion in US fines for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill and pleaded guilty to 14 counts including felony manslaughter in the deaths of 11 workers. Two of the British energy giant's on-board supervisors also face involuntary manslaughter charges for failing to prevent the April 20, 2010 explosion on the BP-leased Deepwater Horizon rig. A former BP executive was charged with obstruction of justice for lying about how much oil was gushing out of the runaway well. It took 87 days to cap BP's runaway Macondo well 1,500m below the water surface as it spewed some 4.9 million barrels (206 million gallons) of oil into the Gulf of Mexico and blackened beaches in five states. The blast - which shattered the company's reputation - unleashed the biggest marine oil spill in the industry's history and the worst environmental disaster to strike the United States to date. BP signed a plea agreement acknowledging guilt on 11 counts of … [Read more...] about BP to pay record $4.5 bn fine over US oil spill
Criticism mounts as BP struggles to curb oil spill
Energy giant BP Plc scrambled to contain a month-old seabed well leak billowing crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday as anger mounted among affected residents and political leaders in Washington. A month after the well blowout and rig explosion that killed 11 workers, sheets of rust-colored heavy oil are starting to clog fragile marshlands on the fringes of the Mississippi Delta, damaging fishing grounds and wildlife. "To me from the very beginning with BP it was nothing but public relations," said Roger Halphen, a south Louisiana school teacher who has worked both in the oil industry and as a commercial fisherman. "It's just a disaster. Everybody was sleeping on this and now all of a sudden here it is," he said of oil washing up on the coast. BP's battered reputation has been reflected in its share price which lost more than 4 percent in London on Friday, extending recent sharp losses. US lawmakers and scientists have accused BP of trying to conceal what many … [Read more...] about Criticism mounts as BP struggles to curb oil spill
Oil spill efforts ramp up as storm eyed anxiously
GRANDE ISLE, Louisiana - The first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season is posing an uncertain threat to the Gulf of Mexico, even as efforts to contain the worst oil spill in US history are set to ramp up. For now, Tropical Storm Alex, which is hitting the western Caribbean with rain and high winds, is not expected to pass close to BP Plc.'s blown-out well off the Louisiana coast. But even a miss that only generates large waves could greatly complicate clean-up efforts from Louisiana to Florida Current official estimates suggest between 35,000 to 60,000 barrels a day are leaking from the rogue well. BP collected over 24,000 barrels on Friday and about 11,640 barrels in the first half of Saturday, the company estimated. New equipment being moved to the site of the leak in the coming week could raise the daily collection rate to 53,000 barrels a day, US Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, who is coordinating the US oil spill response, said on Saturday. US Energy … [Read more...] about Oil spill efforts ramp up as storm eyed anxiously