BP sues Transocean, others for spill costs

One year on from an oil rig blast that killed 11 people and led to 4.9 million barrels of oil flowing into the Gulf of Mexico, BP, the operator of the Deepwater Horizon rig, is suing other companies associated with the rig, including rig owner Transocean, contractor Halliburton and manufacturer of a failed blowout preventer, Cameron International.

According to a statement, BP said that it had filed the lawsuits, “to ensure that all parties involved in the Macondo well [where the BP rig was located] are appropriately held accountable.” Thus far BP has contributed $20 billion towards the Gulf Coast Claims Facility fund, set up to compensate individuals, households and businesses for the unprecedented environmental damage caused by the spill.

In the first of several lawsuits against co-involved companies, BP filed claims against Transocean arguing that Transocean was the owner of a rig that was “unseaworthy,” and that “every single safety system and device and well control procedure … failed, resulting in casualty.”

BP also targeted Cameron International for negligence over its manufacture of a faulty blowout preventer that led to an “unreasonable amount of risk,” according to reports. The claims against Cameron include the charge that, “the Deepwater Horizon blowout preventer was unreasonably dangerous, and has caused and continues to cause harm, loss, injuries, and damages to BP... stemming from the blowout of Macondo well...”

In a second lawsuit filed against Halliburton late on Wednesday BP said “Halliburton designed and pumped a cement slurry into the Macondo well that was unstable and unlikely to isolate the hydrocarbons. Halliburton could not have caused the resulting damage without concealing from BP material facts and expert opinions about its cement slurry, including its properties, weaknesses, and its likelihood of failure.”

BP further said, “Halliburton’s improper conduct, errors and omissions, including fraud and concealment, caused and/or contributed to the Deepwater Horizon incident.”

Reacting to the lawsuit by BP, Transocean in a statement described the action as “desperate,” “specious” and “unconscionable.” Transocean has filed a counter-lawsuit and a lengthy court battle over mopping up the post-spill costs is likely, according to sources.