The Wall Street Journal has reported that the U.S. Justice Department officials are preparing criminal charges against several Houston-based BP engineers and at least one supervisor for their role in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. The WSJ report said that prosecutors believe the BP employees may have provided regulators with false information about possible risks during the Macondo well's drilling program.
BP America press officer Daren Beaudo said in a statement to OilOnline.com that the company had no comment on the matter.
NPR's Carrie Johnson reported that Justice Department sources said that no final decisions about the criminal charges have been made. If charges are filed, they are likely to surface before the first trial in connection with the oil spill commences on 27 February in New Orleans. The Wall Street Journal also reported that the penalties for providing false information in federal documents is carries a sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine.
This news follows the annoucement that a settlement was reached between Cameron International, the manufacturer of Deepwater Horizon's blowout preventer, for $250 million, which was announced on 14 December.
By: Audrey Leon,aleon@oilonline.com
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