BP (LON:BP.) has denied allegations that it was "grossly negligent" or engaged in "willful misconduct" as operator in charge of the MC252 oil well that is currently gushing into the Gulf of Mexico. The oil giant says that co-owner Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE:APC) is refusing to accept responsibility for oil spill removal costs and damages. BP added that it will not allow the allegations to diminish its commitment to the Gulf Coast region.
"These allegations will neither distract the company's focus on stopping the leak nor alter our commitment to restore the Gulf coast," states BP's chief executive officer Tony Hayward. "Other parties besides BP may be responsible for costs and liabilities arising from the oil spill, and we expect those parties to live up to their obligations. "But how the costs and liabilities are eventually allocated between various parties will not affect our unwavering pledge to step forward in the first instance to clean up the spill and pay all legitimate claims in an efficient and fair manner."
Elsewhere, BP said that the two systems being used to collect oil and gas flowing from the MC252 well and transport them to vessels on the surface had so far collected approximately 249,500 barrels oil. To date, over 65,000 claims have been submitted by businesses affected by the oil spill in the Gulf region and more than 32,000 payments have been made, totalling over $105m. Bp said the cost of the response to date amounted to approximately $2.0bn, including the cost of the spill response, containment, relief well drilling, grants to the Gulf states, claims paid, and federal costs.
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