Halliburton Agrees To $1.1 Billion Settlement In 2010 Gulf Spill
By Christine Mai-Duc, Los Angeles Times
Halliburton has agreed to a $1.1 billion settlement stemming from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion that spewed more than 4 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico and killed 11 people, attorneys for the company and plaintiffs said Tuesday.
The settlement seeks to put to bed most of the claims filed against the oil field services giant by individuals and businesses affected by the spill, including commercial fishermen and charter boat operators and individual fishermen or hunters in certain areas who depended on their catch for subsistence, attorneys with the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the Deepwater Horizon litigation said.
“Halliburton stepped up to the plate and agreed to provide a fair measure of compensation to people and businesses harmed in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy,” attorneys Stephen J. Herman and James P. Roy said in a statement from the committee.
According to Halliburton, the agreement covers:
-Claims against Halliburton stemming from a class-action settlement between BP and thousands of individuals and businesses who had reported damage as a result of the disaster.
-Punitive damages against Halliburton by plaintiffs who said they suffered property damage or losses related to the commercial fishing industry.
-Affirmation that Halliburton has no liability for damages stemming from BP’s 2012 $7.8 billion class-action settlement.
The settlement must be approved by U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier.
Halliburton pleaded guilty last year to destroying evidence, including results of internal tests conducted after the spill that were designed to evaluate the soundness of advice the company gave to BP before the explosion.
The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded and sank off the coast of Louisiana on April 20, 2010, and spewed oil into the gulf for more than three months. At one point, oil fouled about 1,000 miles of coastline, affecting birds, marine life, fishing and tourism.
The rig was owned by offshore drilling company Transocean but leased and operated by BP. Halliburton did cement work on the well, owned by a number of oil companies including BP.
A federal commission found that BP, Halliburton and Transocean had tried to cut corners, contributing to the disaster. The panel faulted Halliburton’s unstable cement job on the well for leading to the explosion.
AFP Photo
