U.S. authorities may charge BP managers with manslaughter, based on their decisions made prior and during the explosion, which killed 11 workers, caused the biggest offshore spill in U.S. history, and is still causing severe problems today, according to Bloomberg News.
The U.S. Justice Department carried out criminal and civil investigations last June, and filed a civil lawsuit against BP in December. However, this did not include criminal charges.
Now, authorities are scrutinizing the decisions and claims that BP executives made, including that of the former chief executive Tony Hayward. The investigation’s function is to see if the managers should be charged in relation to the workers’ deaths. The investigation also seeks to establish whether or not the managers’ decisions to decrease costs and increase speed on the oil well project caused them to overlook safety, leading to the fatalities.
The investigation will also inspect the validity of BP’s statements in a congressional hearing and whether their testimonies actually aligned with what they knew at the time. Further, authorities are also looking into emails and other documents in an effort to examine what BP and its partners in Deepwater Horizon knew when they testified in June.
A commission appointed by President Barack Obama filed a report in January, concluding that the “explosive loss” could have been prevented. Fred Bartlit, the chief counsel of commission, laid a hefty amount of blame on BP.
According to Bloomberg, “BP officials were warned by Halliburton Co. (HAL), the Houston-based company it hired to seal the well with cement, that their design might allow the oil and natural gas to leak to the surface. Halliburton recommended BP use 21 centralizers that help ensure cement is evenly distributed in the well and seals it. BP had only six centralizers on Deepwater Horizon, according to internal e-mails released by investigators. BP officials decided to go ahead rather than wait for the additional 15.”
BP declined to comment.
BP shares fell 2.2 percent in London trading, the steepest drop since January.
The U.S. Justice Department carried out criminal and civil investigations last June, and filed a civil lawsuit against BP in December. However, this did not include criminal charges.
Now, authorities are scrutinizing the decisions and claims that BP executives made, including that of the former chief executive Tony Hayward. The investigation’s function is to see if the managers should be charged in relation to the workers’ deaths. The investigation also seeks to establish whether or not the managers’ decisions to decrease costs and increase speed on the oil well project caused them to overlook safety, leading to the fatalities.
The investigation will also inspect the validity of BP’s statements in a congressional hearing and whether their testimonies actually aligned with what they knew at the time. Further, authorities are also looking into emails and other documents in an effort to examine what BP and its partners in Deepwater Horizon knew when they testified in June.
A commission appointed by President Barack Obama filed a report in January, concluding that the “explosive loss” could have been prevented. Fred Bartlit, the chief counsel of commission, laid a hefty amount of blame on BP.
According to Bloomberg, “BP officials were warned by Halliburton Co. (HAL), the Houston-based company it hired to seal the well with cement, that their design might allow the oil and natural gas to leak to the surface. Halliburton recommended BP use 21 centralizers that help ensure cement is evenly distributed in the well and seals it. BP had only six centralizers on Deepwater Horizon, according to internal e-mails released by investigators. BP officials decided to go ahead rather than wait for the additional 15.”
BP declined to comment.
BP shares fell 2.2 percent in London trading, the steepest drop since January.
