Tag: Transocean

Chevron and Transocean said they acted appropriately and responsibly SÃO PAULO-Brazil's Federal Police are asking a federal prosecutor to indict as many as 17 Chevron Corp. and Transocean Ltd. employees, including Chevron's Brazil director, George Buck, for their alleged roles in an oil spill last month off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, a senior Brazilian police official said in a televised interview late Wednesday."The companies acted in a frivolous, irresponsible manner in the incident," Federal Police investigator Fábio Scliar said on the Brazilian television station TV Globo. Mr. Scliar couldn't be reached for comment.In separate statements, Chevron and Transocean, the company contracted by Chevron to drill the well, confirmed that the Federal Police were recommending indictments following an investigation into possible environmental and other crimes stemming from the spill.In their statements, both Chevron and Transocean said they acted appropriately and responsibly.To be sure, some analysts say Brazilian authorities may resist going through with an indictment, some experts said. That is because it would set a precedent for criminal charges in the case of even relatively small spills-a precedent that could come back to haunt the government if state-run oil giant Petróleo Brasileiro SA, known as Petrobras, has a spill.All ...

Court to deny Transocean Ltd's request to protect itself against civil penalties The U.S. Justice Department has asked a district court to deny offshore oil drilling contractor Transocean Ltd's request to protect itself against civil penalties stemming from last year's record oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.In November, Transocean said in a court filing that BP must indemnify it for damages arising from what it called BP's failure to contain the flow from its Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico, regardless of who was negligent or else at fault.Transocean had requested the court to issue a "partial summary judgement" in its favor.In a filing with the U.S. District Court in New Orleans on Thursday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Transocean's motion seeks to resolve issues that must be analyzed based on evidence yet to be presented."At trial, the U.S. respectfully believes it will establish that Transocean's acts and omissions in this case amounted to willful misconduct that obviates the indemnity," DOJ said in the filing.The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig's April 20, 2010 explosion caused 11 deaths and led to the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history.Transocean owned the rig, while BP owned a majority of the ...

Federal regulators in October cited BP PLC for seven violations The Obama administration says BP and two other companies are likely to face new citations for alleged safety and environmental violations stemming from last year's Gulf oil spill.Michael Bromwich, head of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, says the upcoming notices stem from reviews that go beyond a federal government probe of the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon blast, which killed 11 workers and resulted in the nation's worst offshore oil spill.Federal regulators in October cited BP PLC for seven violations, and contractors Transocean Ltd. and Halliburton for four violations apiece, stemming from the Gulf spill.Bromwich said Monday that new notices of violation could be sent within two weeks. Bromwich steps down Thursday after 17 months as head of the offshore drilling agency.Source: Huffington Post

The court found that BP assumed full responsibility for oil released from the well A U.S. judge said Tuesday that BP PLC (BP) isn't entitled to receive money from Transocean Ltd.'s (RIG) insurers for costs related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.The U.K. oil giant had sought U.S. courts to rule that it was covered under Transocean's insurance for the doomed Deepwater Horizon rig, even though its contract with the drilling company stated that BP would assume responsibility for spill costs.U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier, of Louisiana's Eastern District, said "BP is not entitled to the declarations of coverage it seeks," because in the drilling contract it signed both BP and Transocean split responsibilities. The court found that Transocean agreed to bear the cost of any accidents occurring above the surface of the water from spills, leaks or fuel discharges, while BP assumed full responsibility for oil released from the well."BP is not entitled to the declarations of coverage it seeks," the judge ruled. The policies included about $750 million of coverage, the court filing said.Under federal laws, the oil company in charge of a lease--in this case, BP--assumes the cost of stopping a spill and cleaning it up, to ...

Billions of dollars are potentially at stake in a trial scheduled for February The companies involved in the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history are trying to prevent government investigations blaming them for the disaster from being used against them by the people and businesses who are suing them.Billions of dollars are potentially at stake in a trial scheduled for February to determine whether rig owner Transocean can limit what it pays those making claims under maritime law and to assign percentages of fault to Transocean and other companies involved.BP, Transocean and cement contractor Halliburton filed motions late Monday in federal court in New Orleans seeking to keep certain government oil spill reports out of the civil case. BP also wants a judge to bar plaintiffs' lawyers from using past criminal, civil and regulatory proceedings against the British firm in the civil case. The companies cited rules of evidence and other procedural issues.The filings deal with the two most comprehensive federal investigations of the disaster. One that was issued in September by the U.S. Coast Guard and the agency that regulates offshore drilling concluded that BP bears ultimate responsibility for the disaster. The other report by the presidential oil ...

They were asked to testify this week at a hearing of the House Natural Resources Committee The chief executives of BP Plc (BP, BP.LN), Transocean Ltd. (RIG) and Halliburton Co. (HAL) declined to testify this week before a panel of House lawmakers who are looking into the causes of the Deepwater Horizonoil spill.The move has a key Democrat vowing to take measures to compel the executives to appear.The CEOs of all three companies-BP's Robert Dudley, Transocean's Steven Newman and Halliburton's David Lesar-were asked to testify this week at a hearing of the House Natural Resources Committee.That committee, led by Rep. Doc Hastings (R., Wash.), is reviewing the findings of a high-profile investigation that concluded earlier this year that all three companies broke rules that contributed to theoil spill.The investigation was conducted jointly by the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Interior Department. The committee's hearing on the investigation will be held Wednesday and the CEOs were asked to attend by the panel's top Democrat, Rep. Ed Markey of Massachusetts.In separate letters sent to the committee Monday, the companies said their top chiefs wouldn't appear at the hearing. BP said it was refusing because it already provided a top employee, BP ...

The legal tussle between Transocean and BP stemming from the 2010 spill Transocean Ltd. filed a motion in federal court Tuesday to forceBP PLC to indemnify it against damages related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.The legal salvo is the latest in an increasingly bitter contractual dispute between the companies over whether the Switzerland-based Transocean should help pay billions of dollars in costs and government penalties. Federal investigations into the incident have put blame on both BP and Transocean in the 2010 spill, which occurred after a drilling crew lost control of an oil well in deep water off the coast of Louisiana.BP has agreed to pay costs related to cleaning up the spill. But the London-based oil giant is seeking to have Transocean help cover the oil-spill cleanup costs, arguing that Transocean and its employees bear partial responsibility for the accident.Transocean, owner of the world's largest fleet of offshore deepwater drilling rigs, says that BP agreed in its contract to "defend, indemnify and hold harmless" the driller.Transocean, in its legal motion, argues that BP is trying to nullify its contract for use of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. "Why have you signed so many contracts, reviewed by an army ...

Stemming from last year's rig explosion and massive Gulf oil spill Federal regulators on Wednesday cited oil company BP PLC and two other companies - Transocean Ltd. and Halliburton - for alleged safety and environmental violations stemming from last year's rig explosion and massive Gulf oil spill.The companies have 60 days to appeal the citations issued by the Interior Department's Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.The bureau says the alleged regulatory violations could result in civil penalties once the appeal period has ended.These initial citations are the product of a federal government probe of the Deepwater Horizon blast, which killed 11 workers and hastened the nation's worst offshore oil spill."To ensure the safe and environmentally responsible conduct of offshore operations, companies that violate federal regulations must be held accountable," BSEE Director Michael R. Bromwich said in a statement. "The joint investigation clearly revealed the violation of numerous federal regulations designed to protect the integrity of offshore operations."One of the citations accuses well owner BP, rig owner Transocean and cement contractor Halliburton of failing to operate in a "safe and workmanlike manner." Another says the companies "failed to take necessary precautions to keep the well under control at all times."A report ...

Possible oil release from riser pipe or other debris The U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port for Morgan City, La., issued a Notice of Federal Interest to Transocean Holdings, LLC, Tuesday.A series of sheen sightings in the area of Mississippi Canyon block 252 indicate the possibility of a release from the riser pipe or other debris on the ocean floor from the April 20, 2010, Deepwater Horizon incident. Recent ROV video footage of the capped Macondo well has shown no evidence of a release from the well.An NOFI puts a potential responsible party on notice and, under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, the responsible party may be financially accountable for debris removal costs and damages resulting from the pollution incident. Federal removal actions will be limited to monitoring progress of the responsible party's actions and providing guidance as necessary."This is part of the process we take whenever there is an oil sighting that cannot be immediately attributed to a specific source. We will actively work with Transocean to discuss options to determine whether or not the wreckage is the cause," said Capt. Jonathan Burton, commanding officer of Marine Safety Unit Morgan City.Failure or refusal of the responsible party ...

Transocean plans to tow it to sheltered water to inspect damage Transocean Ltd. (RIG) said Thursday that the deep-water drilling rig off Ghana that was evacuated Wednesday after it took on water remains stable.The company is working on unmooring the Transocean Marianas, which is anchored some 46 miles offshore, and plans to tow it to sheltered water to inspect damage, spokesman Guy Cantwell said.It will likely be at least a week before a full damage assessment can be made, Cantwell said.There have been no injuries and a skeleton crew remain aboard the vessel, Cantwell said. And because the rig was not drilling when it began taking on water, there is no risk of an oil spill.Transocean owned the Deepwater Horizon, which exploded last year while drilling a well for BP PLC (BP, BP.LN) in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 and touching off the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history. Since then Transocean has faced scrutiny over its safety procedures and maintenance of the world's largest offshore drilling fleet.More than 100 workers were evacuated from the Marianas on Wednesday when it was discovered to have taken on water. A semisubmersible rig, the Marianas floats on large ballast tanks, or ...