NEWS RELEASE

Committee on Energy and Commerce
Rep. John D. Dingell, Chairman

BP Withheld Key Documents from Committee;
Thursday Hearing Postponed to May 16

The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the House Energy and Commerce Committee has rescheduled the hearing entitled “2006 Prudhoe Bay Shutdown: Will Recent Regulatory Changes and BP Management Reforms Prevent Future Failures?” The hearing will now be held on Wednesday, May 16, 2007 at 9:30 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn House Office Building.

The hearing, which was previously scheduled for May 3, was postponed after the Committee discovered BP had withheld key documents regarding cost-cutting measures on corrosion mitigation activities at the Prudhoe Bay field. BP requested additional time to prepare for the hearing, conduct research into these issues and provide additional materials. In August 2006, BP initiated a partial shutdown of Prudhoe Bay due to corrosion.

“We now know that BP proceeded with cost cutting measures that may have compromised pipeline safety while earning $22 billion in profits, but what we don’t know is why,” said Rep. John D. Dingell (D-MI), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

“These documents appear to show a severe cost cutting environment with respect to corrosion mitigation in the Prudhoe Bay field,” added Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI), Chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee. “At the May 16th hearing we hope to ferret out whether cost cutting, as reflected in these documents, had any impact on the safe operations on that field.”

Attached is a letter from BP Chairman and President Robert Malone to Chairmen Dingell and Stupak in addition to a response from the chairmen.

Read the letter

- 30 -