Anadarko Petroleum Co. will pay BP $4 billion to settle claims related to the Gulf of Mexico disaster in April 2010, BP said Monday.
The explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig killed 11 workers and fouled the Louisiana coastline and other parts of the Gulf with oil, damaging the environment and economy.
BP said the agreement was not an admission of liability from either party regarding the disaster. As part of the settlement, Anadarko will no longer pursue allegations of gross negligence against BP.
“There is clear progress with parties stepping forward to meet their obligations and help fund the economic and environmental restoration of the Gulf,” said BP group Chief Executive Bob Dudley.”It’s time for the contractors, including Transocean and Halliburton, to do the same.”
BP contracts included Halliburton and Anadarko. Transocean owned the Deepwater Horizon.
Anadarko owns 25 percent of the Macondo well where the rig was drilling. Anadarko had a signed a contract saying that it would pay a quarter of costs associated with the well, unless BP was found guilty of gross negligence – even though no Anadarko employees were working on the rig.
BP has paid at least $5 billion to settle claims from at least 3,000 people affected by the spill. The company said it will apply Anadarko’s $4 billion settlement to the $20 billion trust it established to meet claims from individuals, businesses and government.
