Report: 'BP has accused Halliburton of destroying damaging evidence relating to last year's Gulf of Mexico oil spill. In a court filing, BP has alleged that the US oil services firm [sic] intentionally destroy[ed] evidence about possible problems with its cement slurry poured into the deep-sea Macondo well about 100 miles (160 km) off the Louisiana coast. An oil well must be cemented properly to avoid blowouts."
The Deepwater Horizon blast in April 2010, which killed 11 workers, led to the biggest oil spill in US history, which affected wildlife such as pelicans, 04/20/10. (photo: Sean Gardner/Reuters)
BP Accuses Halliburton of Destroying Evidence
06 December 11
US contractor destroyed evidence about possible problems with cementing of Macondo well before disaster, allege court papers
P has accused Halliburton of destroying damaging evidence relating to last year's Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
In a court filing, BP has alleged that the US oil services firm of intentionally destroying evidence about possible problems with its cement slurry poured into the deep-sea Macondo well about 100 miles (160 km) off the Louisiana coast. An oil well must be cemented properly to avoid blowouts.
Also in the documents filed in a New Orleans federal court, BP accuses Halliburton of failing to produce incriminating computer modelling evidence.
BP asked a US judge to penalise Halliburton and order a court-sponsored computer forensic team to recover the modelling results.
Halliburton has told media outlets that the accusations are untrue.
The allegations in the 310-page motion add to a showdown among BP and the contractors Halliburton and Transocean over blame in the Deepwater Horizon blast in April 2010, which killed 11 workers and led to 206m US gallons (780m litres) of crude oil escaping into the Gulf of Mexico. So far, BP, the majority owner of the Macondo well, has footed the bill for the emergency response and cleanup.
Also involved are Anadarko Petroleum and Cameron International.
The first trial over the disaster is scheduled to start 27 February in New Orleans. It is expected to last three months and determine the liability of each company involved in drilling the Macondo well. There will be other phases over cleanup costs, punitive damages and other claims.
US federal and independent investigations into the disaster have found fault in Halliburton's cementing because it failed to properly plug the well. The firm used a foamy cement slurry.
In Monday's court filing, BP alleges that Halliburton employees discarded and destroyed early test results they performed on the same batch of cement slurry used in the Macondo well during an internal investigation into the disaster.
BP said Halliburton's chief cement mixer for Gulf projects testified in depositions that the cement slurry seemed "thin" to him but that he chose not to write about his findings to his bosses out of fear he would be misinterpreted.
"I didn't want to put anything on an email that could be twisted, and turned," Rickey Morgan, the Halliburton cement expert, said in depositions. He worked at a laboratory in Duncan, Oklahoma.
"Upon reviewing these latest testing results, Halliburton employees destroyed records of the testing as well as the physical cement samples used in the testing," BP alleged.
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Haliburton is really good at avoiding paying up. Think about all the service members whose death they were responsible for in Iraq. Some died in showers because of electicity being faultily wired. They were supplying the military unclean water so a lot died of the desease they got because of it.
Female contractors were raped, and I remember one of them wanted the perpetraitor punished. She was thrown into a container and kept there for some time. Nothing was done and she had to work with the bastard who attacked her.
The three contractors killed in Fallujah
didn't want to make the fatefull trip.
They were told. You go, or we take your weapons and toss you out into the street, which would mean CERTAIN DEATH
I could go on and on. Haliburton is the most disgraceful criminal outfit. It is beyond distressing, that they are in charge of supplying our military, for they do not give a damn about the unfortunate men and women they SHOULD take care off.
One way or another, you and I will end up being "collateral damage" once they play out their little show.
Duh! The whole world knows it! They've ["They" includes EVERYONE in the oil production industry!] been either "destroying" or "mis-stating" or "mis-interpreting" data for years! And, now they're fighting among themselves over the pittance they've been assessed!
Why is the Justice Dept in their with everything they've got??!! Hell! If the Justice Dept went after ALL of them on a "joint & several liability" action, our national deficit problems would be solved for the next couple decades!!
The Cash Cache Stash these clowns have in "off-shore" havens is monstrous! And, it's never been taxed either!!!
It's a tragedy of major proportion that our Justice Dept and Leaders of the past several administrations (including the present administration) cannot wrap their mouth around the word "crooked!"
Thanks, Vardoz. You're not related to that other doz, Zar, are you? Yeah, I know, lame...
Halliburton and its holding company should be dissolved and their management jailed.
It would improve the entire world.
Just how many more examples of corruption does America have to endure while the cops arrest innocent protesters? It seems endless.
My father didn't live long enough to know about 9/11 or the criminal activities of Halliburton in concert with Cheney and Bush.
My father was loyal to his company like a soldier is loyal to his country.
My father has been betrayed. And haven't we all?
Our Founding Fathers are SPINNING in their hallowed graves.
It was only a matter of time before they start eating their own. Yahoo!!!
These disasters cannot possibly be compensated, thus, the costs are being EXTERNALIZED, We can pay more at the pump, but asking sea turtles and polar bears to share in the cost of OUR oil is unconscionable.
BP is responsible - how much did they pay (local people NOT lawyers).
So transparent lies ...
And Big Oiland Gas has moved on to fracking. How long will it be before we really pay for that?
confuse the issue with 'purchased' "science", delay decisions for a decade or more, acquire more offshore and subterranean leases, engineer 'big dig' pipelines through aquifers, frack the landscape for petroleum products that cost more energy than they produce ..
Talk about a "Parcel of Rogues in a nation"?
They should both be under indictment for planetary degradation, locality depredation (including the inhabitants and economy), cheating, murder (of the employees on the platform), fraud and a whole string of crimes against the planet and humanity.
-And yet OWS folks are being beaten and jailed for protesting these same people's hold on their freedoms and livelihoods?!
Talk about judicial pandering and upside-down nonsense.
They deserve each other!
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