BP loses attempt to share Deepwater Horizon oil spill costs

[xchrom]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jan/27/bp-transocean-deepwater-spill-court

An attempt by BP to offload a major part of its Gulf of Mexico oil-spill compensation bill on to the US rig operator Transocean has been thrown out by a US court.

The setback comes in the run-up to the main legal case against BP and its partners on 27 February in New Orleans, which will rule over who is to blame for the Deepwater Horizon accident, in which 11 workers died.

Shares in the oil group fell 2.7% after a federal judge upheld a clause in the drilling contract that shielded Transocean from having to pay compensation for livelihoods damaged by the Macondo blowout in 2010.

But the district judge, Carl Barbier, left open the possibility that Transocean might still have to pay punitive damages or civil penalties imposed by the US government under the federal Clean Water Act.

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. Bright spot in the normal run of bleak news.

Good!

[Nihil]

2. "Bright spot"?

A US company that has been proven guilty in spills around the world is
protected by a US court with regard to a US spill and that's a "bright spot"?

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. But the district judge, Carl Barbier, left open the possibility that Transocean

But the district judge, Carl Barbier, left open the possibility that Transocean might still have to pay punitive damages or civil penalties imposed by the US government under the federal Clean Water Act.


Bright spot:
BP cannot shift the financial consequences onto someone else, it gets to pay for its arrogance ( assuming of course that the court case is ever brought and settled)
and
Transocean does not get to totally wriggle out of responsibility

bright spot: potential these arrogant companies might be held accountable.

[Nihil]

4. Have to agree to disagree on that one.

1) BP are totally liable for their own part (and not only should get hammered but will).
2) Transocean have been granted a get out of jail free card for their incompetence.
3) Halliburton have slipped not just off the hook but completely out of the spotlight.

This means that
> bright spot: potential these arrogant companies might be held accountable.

has actually become "one out of the three arrogant companies might be held accountable."

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. I see your point.

Esp about Halliburton....