Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill (2010)

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News about Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill (2010), including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Sep. 25, 2014

Federal District Court Judge Carl J Barbier, at hearing in New Orleans, rejects BP’s request that it be allowed to claw back hundreds of millions of dollars it claims to have overpaid victims of 2010 Gulf Coast oil spill; extra money was paid out under old accounting method. MORE
Sep. 5, 2014

Federal Judge Carl J Barbier rules that BP was grossly negligent in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill; ruling opens possibility of $18 billion in new civil penalties for company that has already spent more than $28 billion on damage claims and cleanup costs while maintaining that it was not chiefly responsible for the accident; decision stands as a milestone in environmental law, and serves as warning for oil companies that continue to drill in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. MORE
Sep. 3, 2014

Halliburton has reached $1.1 billion settlement with thousands of businesses, individuals and local governments that suffered losses from 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion; settlement represents small fraction of damages paid out by companies involved in the accident, but goes long way toward resolving Halliburton's exposure to liability claims. MORE
Aug. 2, 2014

Joe Nocera Op-Ed column observes that BP is being targeted by bogus class-action lawsuits in relation to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and has filed motion to take case to Supreme Court; contends that company, initially generous in its compensation, has been forced to protect itself from illegitimate claims, raising question of how much sympathy should be felt for corporations that do enormous damage to environment and people's lives. MORE
Jun. 13, 2014

Judge Stanwood Duval Jr of the Eastern District Court of Louisiana orders new trial for former BP engineer Kurt Mix, who was convicted of deleting text messages relevant to an investigation of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill; ruling finds that outside information influenced jury's verdict. MORE
Jun. 10, 2014

Supreme Court rules that BP must continue paying claims from a fund established after the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill while the company appeals the terms of its settlement with some businesses. MORE
Jun. 6, 2014

Report from the Chemical Safety Board finds that another disastrous offshore oil well blowout could happen despite regulatory improvements following the 2010 explosion of a BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. MORE
May. 29, 2014

Appeals court panel rules that British oil company BP must resume paying claims to businesses from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill while BP asks Supreme Court to review its settlement. MORE
May. 22, 2014

BP says it will ask Supreme Court to decide whether businesses must prove they were directly harmed by 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill to collect payments from a 2012 settlement. MORE
May. 20, 2014

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals refuses to reconsider earlier decision upholding the process by which BP must compensate businesses claiming damages over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill; BP had argued forcefully that settlement was hijacked by corrupt trial lawyers and claims administrators. MORE
May. 6, 2014

Team of scientists studying effect of Deepwater Horizon oil spill on bird populations in Gulf of Mexico estimates that 800,000 birds died in accident, number far higher than 3,000 recovered carcasses; number is based on models using publicly available data and assumes that ocean currents carried most carcasses away from site; BP has disputed number. MORE
Apr. 17, 2014

BP announces it is ending what it terms 'active cleanup' of Louisiana's coast almost four years after Deepwater Horizon oil spill; Coast Guard officials stress that a more narrow cleanup response will continue, with crews remaining on Gulf Coast to respond to new reports of oil, and that responsible party will be held accountable for cleanup costs. MORE
Apr. 17, 2014

Op-Ed article by policy experts S Elizabeth Birnbaum and Jacqueline Savitz charges that Obama administration has taken few steps, in wake of 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster in Gulf of Mexico, to prevent similar occurrence in future; holds drilling-related fiasco is likely to reoccur, and that prospect is exacerbated by expansion in offshore drilling and lag in safety technology; calls for increased safety measures and careful consideration of risks. MORE
Mar. 25, 2014

Study by team of marine scientists shows embryos of tuna and amberjack that were exposed to crude oil collected from Deepwater Horizon spill developed heart and other deformities that will likely kill some developing fish and shorten lives of others; findings, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, will be used in damage assessment against BP. MORE
Mar. 4, 2014

Federal appeals court Judge Leslie H Southwick rules that BP is bound by compensation agreement it signed with regard to 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill and must pay some gulf businesses for economic damage without their having to prove it was caused by the Deepwater Horizon disaster. MORE
Jan. 11, 2014

Federal appeals court upholds Judge Carl Barbier of Federal District Court's approval of company's multi-billion-dollar settlement with lawyers for businesses and residents who claim 2010 oil spill in Gulf of Mexico cost them money; BP has argued that judge had misinterpreted settlement terms in ways that would force it to pay for billions of dollars in inflated or false claims. MORE
Dec. 19, 2013

Kurt Mix, former engineer at BP, is found guilty of obstruction of justice for deleting messages during federal probe into how much oil leaked after Gulf of Mexico rig explosion; he is first of four current or former BP employees charged criminally for actions related to well blowout to be tried and convicted. MORE
Dec. 18, 2013

BP accuses Texas lawyer Mikal C Watts of fraudulently driving up its settlement costs in 2010 Gulf Coast oil spill by claiming to represent tens of thousands of clients who turned out to be 'phantoms.' MORE
Oct. 3, 2013

Federal appeals court orders United States District Court Judge Carl J Barbier to reconsider his interpretation of a settlement with claimants who filed billions of dollars of claims against BP after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster; order is partial victory for oil company. MORE
Sep. 30, 2013

Civil trial of British oil company BP is set to begin its second phase, with billions of dollars in penalties at stake; fines against company hang in the balance, and depend on the level of negligence that is determined and how much oil was spilled in 2010 Deepwater Horizon rig explosion; government will argue 4.2 million barrels of oil was discharged, and BP will counter number was closer to 2.45 million barrels. MORE
Aug. 20, 2013

Paul W Sammarco data analysis published in journal Marine Pollution Bulletin finds higher level of contamination than federal agencies found in water, sediment and seafood samples taken in 2010 after Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion in Gulf of Mexico; findings cast doubt on earlier sampling methods. MORE
Jul. 31, 2013

Op-Ed article by Stephen Teague, staff attorney at the Mississippi Center for Justice, contends that BP is engaged in an aggressive legal and public-relations campaign to limit how much it pays individuals and businesses for losses caused by 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill; calls on company to end its stall tactics and keep its promises to people of Gulf Coast. MORE
Jul. 31, 2013

British oil giant BP plans to step up its defense against litigation stemming from 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill; company, which continues to endure financial fallout from disaster, says it will not back down against settlement claims it views as false; BP reports weaker-than-expected earnings. MORE
Jul. 30, 2013

Joe Nocera Op-Ed column argues that plaintiff's lawsuit against BP for damages in wake of Gulf of Mexico oil spill is classic example of corrupt mass torts process that benefits lawyers more than any other group; notes company's initial decision to provide direct compensation to victims cut out lawyers altogether, threatening their business model. MORE
Jul. 26, 2013

Halliburton agrees to plead guilty to destruction of critical evidence after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010; oil services company will pay the maximum allowable fine of $200,000 and will be subject to three years of probation. MORE
Jul. 20, 2013

Joe Nocera Op-Ed column scores Louisiana Judge Carl J Barbier for denying BP's request to temporarily halt payments to those affected by 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill; argues BP has not been given fair day in court, citing shady backroom dealings among plaintiffs' lawyers that led to $7.8 billion in additional liability for company. MORE
Jul. 12, 2013

BP tells federal appeals court that claims administrator misinterpreted terms of multibillion-dollar settlement reached in 2012 over Deepwater Horizon rig explosion, saying it has led to payouts for exaggerated and even fictitious losses; decision, along with billions in potential fines under Clean Water Act, will have strong impact on company's otherwise successful effort to turn around finances. MORE
Jul. 9, 2013

Joe Nocera Op-Ed column contends BP's effort to compensate victims of 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill has been corrupted by litigators bent on extracting as much money as possible from corporation, with many benefiting who were not affected by spill; warns if BP is not protected from meritless suits, other corporations will think twice before doing the right thing in wake of industrial accidents. MORE
Jun. 26, 2013

BP is placing full-page advertisements in New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, as it mounts aggressive campaign to challenge what could be billions of dollars in settlement payouts to businesses after its 2010 oil spill in Gulf of Mexico; company asserts thousands of claims were for either inflated or nonexistent losses. MORE
Jun. 19, 2013

Op-Ed article by environmentalist Ben Raines proposes that one nickel of every dollar from BP-oil-spill fines be used to buy and protect coastal marshes and wetlands to help the Gulf of Mexico survive the next oil spill. MORE
May. 1, 2013

Louisiana Gov Bobby Jindal says BP has agreed to finance $340 million in restoration projects in Gulf of Mexico, part of $1 billion settlement company agreed to pay after 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. MORE
Apr. 23, 2013

Halliburton sets aside $637 million to settle some claims from 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill; reports first-quarter loss of $13 million, or 1 cent a share, compared with profit of $635 million, or 69 cents a share, in year-ago quarter; revenue rose 1.5 percent to $6.97 billion. MORE
Apr. 21, 2013

Florida files lawsuit against BP and cement contractor Halliburton over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, becoming fourth state to seek damages for the 2010 disaster. MORE
Apr. 20, 2013

Mississippi becomes third state to sue BP over 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill following failed settlement bid. MORE
Apr. 6, 2013

Federal District Judge Carl Barbier in Louisiana rules that BP can proceed with its appeal of way a court-appointed administrator apportions payments for claims related to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. MORE
Mar. 20, 2013

Transocean chief Steven L Newman acknowledges in court that his crew should have done more to avert 2010 blowout at Deepwater Horizon oil rig in Gulf of Mexico. MORE
Mar. 16, 2013

BP asks federal court to temporarily halt claims paid out as business economic losses, saying many are 'fictitious' and 'absurd.' MORE
Feb. 28, 2013

Alan R Huffman, petroleum geophysicist, says in expert testimony that negligence of oil giant BP caused the 2010 explosion aboard Gulf of Mexico drilling rig that killed 11 workers and spilled millions of barrels of oil. MORE
Feb. 27, 2013

Lamar McKay, BP executive for North American operations at the time of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010, acknowledges in testimony that a well explosion had been identified as a risk before it happened; plaintiffs' lawyer suggests that the company's cost-cutting and risk-taking culture were at the heart of the explosion and spill that killed 11 workers and dumped millions of barrels of oil into the gulf. MORE
Feb. 26, 2013

BP finally faces off in court against an army of federal and state prosecutors, lawyers and even its contract partners over 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, contending that it alone should not shoulder blame for rig explosion that killed 11 workers and soiled beaches and marshes along Gulf Coast; opening arguments catalog BP's failures in disaster, but negotiators are said to be working on multibillion-dollar settlement. MORE
Feb. 25, 2013

Details of settlement emerge on eve of trial against BP stemming from 2010 drilling rig explosion in Gulf of Mexico; plan, worth total of $16 billion, would limit fines paid by BP under Clean Water Act to $6 billion, proposal that could help reduce its tax liability. MORE
Feb. 24, 2013

Justice Department and Gulf Coast states are reportedly trying to settle case against BP over damages related to 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill as civil trial is set to begin. MORE
Feb. 20, 2013

Collection of cases on 2010 Deepwater Horizon rig explosion and oil spill are headed for federal court, where BP faces tens of billions of dollars in civil claims that could cripple company for years to come; cases are expected to have broad effect on environmental law. MORE
Feb. 15, 2013

United States District Court Judge Jane Triche Milazzo in New Orleans approves Transocean’s guilty plea and payment of $400 million in penalties for its role in the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil well blowout. MORE
Jan. 30, 2013

Federal Judge Sarah S Vance approves agreement between BP and Justice Department for company to plead guilty to 14 criminal charges and pay $4 billion in penalties for 2010 oil well blowout and spill in Gulf of Mexico that left 11 workers dead and destroyed hundreds of miles of shoreline. MORE
Jan. 4, 2013

Transocean, driller whose Deepwater Horizon rig blew out in 2010, causing a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, agrees to settle civil and criminal claims with the federal government for $1.4 billion. MORE
Dec. 22, 2012

Federal Judge Barl Barbier gives final approval to BP’s settlement with people who lost money and property in 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. MORE
Nov. 29, 2012

Environmental Protection Agency temporarily bans BP from new federal contracts, citing company's 'lack of business integrity,' which it says was demonstrated by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon blowout and oil spill. MORE
Nov. 17, 2012

BP's agreement to plead guilty to 14 criminal charges and pay $4.5 billion in fines and other payments in connection with its 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico clears the way for Gulf Coast states to seek $20 billion or more in civil pollution penalties in negotiations that could be contentious. MORE
Nov. 17, 2012

Deal reached by BP with United States is another step toward removing doubt that has hung over company and its stock price since explosion that killed 11 people in the Deepwater Horizon rig in 2010, but is not comprehensive settlement company and investors were hoping for. MORE

Tracking the Oil Spill

An updated, interactive graphic tracking the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, including the extent of the spill in the ocean, where oil has made landfall, and the effects on wildlife.

ARTICLES ABOUT THE GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL (2010)

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BP Earnings Fall 18% on Lower Oil Prices

By STANLEY REED

The weak results at the Russian state-owned company Rosneft, in which BP holds a 20 percent stake, also contributed to the third-quarter decline.

October 29, 2014, Wednesday

MORE ON THE GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL (2010) AND: BP Plc , Rosneft , Oil (Petroleum) and Gasoline , Company Reports , BG Group Plc

Movie Review | ‘The Great Invisible’

Disaster’s Toll on the Gulf and Its People

By STEPHEN HOLDEN

“The Great Invisible,” a documentary by Margaret Brown, focuses on the everyday people whose lives were disrupted by the BP oil spill in 2010.

October 29, 2014, Wednesday

MORE ON THE GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL (2010) AND: Movies , Brown, Margaret , Documentary Films and Programs , The Great Invisible (Movie) , Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill (2010)

Judge Denies BP’s Request to Recoup Overpayments to Oil Spill Victims

By JOHN SCHWARTZ

At a hearing in Federal District Court in New Orleans, Judge Carl J. Barbier rejected BP’s request that it be allowed to claw back the extra money paid out under an old accounting method.

September 25, 2014, Thursday

MORE ON THE GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL (2010) AND: Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill (2010) , Reparations , Suits and Litigation (Civil) , BP Plc , Barbier, Carl J

Oil Spill Penalty Will Hurt, but Not Cripple, BP

By CLIFFORD KRAUSS

The British oil company faces up to $18 billion in civil penalties, but appeals and a growing cash flow could limit the damage to its bottom line.

September 6, 2014, Saturday

MORE ON THE GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL (2010) AND: BP Plc , Courts and the Judiciary , Fines (Penalties) , Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill (2010)

BP May Be Fined Up to $18 Billion for Spill in Gulf

By CAMPBELL ROBERTSON and CLIFFORD KRAUSS

BP said it was not chiefly responsible for the blowout on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, but on Thursday, a federal judge for the first time found that BP was indeed the primary culprit.

September 5, 2014, Friday

MORE ON THE GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL (2010) AND: Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill (2010) , BP Plc , Decisions and Verdicts , Suits and Litigation (Civil) , Barbier, Carl J

Halliburton to Pay $1.1 Billion to Settle Damages in Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill

By CLIFFORD KRAUSS

The settlement, a fraction of the damages paid by companies involved in the accident, goes a long way toward resolving Halliburton’s exposure to liability claims.

September 3, 2014, Wednesday

MORE ON THE GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL (2010) AND: Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill (2010) , Halliburton Company , Suits and Litigation (Civil) , Fines (Penalties)

Business Briefing

U.S. Government Sells 400,000 Acres in Gulf

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The federal government has sold more than 400,000 acres in the Gulf of Mexico off the Texas coast for oil and gas exploration and development.

August 21, 2014, Thursday

MORE ON THE GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL (2010) AND: Oil (Petroleum) and Gasoline , Offshore Drilling and Exploration , Gulf of Mexico

Letter

Claims Against BP

The lead counsel for the plaintiffs disagrees with Joe Nocera’s criticism that some claims are “bogus.”

August 9, 2014, Saturday

MORE ON THE GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL (2010) AND: BP Plc , Gulf Coast Claims Facility , Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill (2010) , Suits and Litigation (Civil) , Southwick, Leslie H

Op-Ed Columnist

Sympathy for the Devil

By JOE NOCERA

Should we care if a big corporation that did an awful thing is being hosed?

August 2, 2014, Saturday

MORE ON THE GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL (2010) AND: BP Plc , Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill (2010) , Suits and Litigation (Civil) , Supreme Court (US) , Juneau, Patrick A , Feinberg, Kenneth R , Frauds and Swindling

BP Profit Rises, but It Warns of Risks in Russia

By STANLEY REED

Profit in the second quarter rose 65 percent on improving output in the United States, but the company said sanctions against Russia were a concern.

July 30, 2014, Wednesday

MORE ON THE GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL (2010) AND: United States , BP Plc , Offshore Drilling and Exploration , Russia , Rosneft , Embargoes and Sanctions , Oil (Petroleum) and Gasoline , Company Reports , Dudley, Robert W , Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill (2010)

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