BP and Transocean blame each other for oil disaster
US Senators yesterday accused BP of trying to shift the blame for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill onto its business partners.
BP singled out Transocean, which owns and operates the rig, for its role in the accident, despite the senators insisting “we are all in this together.”
But Transocean chief executive Steven Newman sought to put responsibility on BP.
“Offshore oil and gas production projects begin and end with the operator, in this case BP,” he said.
The British oil giant did admit some fault in the catastrophe, with BP president Lamar Mckay saying he acknowledged that the company had issues.
BP was severely criticised by the committee for its environmental record, with Democratic senator Ron Wyden telling BP president Lamar McKay, that, “the culture of this company has been one accident after another.”
A series of hearings into the spill will take place over the coming weeks and could spawn new legislation on drilling practices. Several senators, said Washington should make drilling safer, not abandon it.