BP looking to cut GoM oil spill size estimate

British oil company BP has appealed a court ruling on the amount of oil spilled in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon platform explosion in 2010, Reuters has reported.

To remind, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana ruled that 3.19 million barrels of oil were released into the Gulf of Mexico. BP had claimed a discharge of 2.45 million barrels, while the U.S. Government calculated 4.19 million barrels were spilled into the ocean.

Also, last week the court ruled that the maximum fine BP should pay under the Clean Water Act should be $4.300 per barrel discharged into the ocean. BP had hoped for $3000 per barrel.

No penalty has yet been determined, but if BP’s appeal is successful it means the company will pay less that the $13.7 billion maximum it is facing now.

Offshore Energy Today Staff