The courts are currently reviewing the agreement between BP and the USA government regarding damages and criminal charges.
AP/ November 15, 2012, 4:07 AM
LONDONBritish oil company BP (click here) said Thursday it is in advanced discussion with U.S. agencies about settling criminal and other claims from the Gulf of Mexico well blowout two years ago.
In a statement, BP said "no final agreement has yet been reached" and that any such agreement would still be subject to court approvals.
BP said the proposed settlement would not include civil claims under the Clean Water Act and other legislation, pending private civil claims and state claims for economic loss.
The explosion and fire aboard the Deepwater Horizon rig on April 20, 2010, killed 11 workers and set off a spill that continued for 87 days, fouling large areas of the southern coast of the United States.
Any settlement is expected to dwarf the largest previous corporate criminal penalty assessed by the Department of Justice -- the $1.2 billion fine imposed on drug maker Prizer in 2009....
