Last updated: December 27, 2014



BP's 'corporate recklessness' lead to Gulf of Mexico oil spill, court told

Deepwater Horizon oil spill BP

11 people died after an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010. Picture: Gerald Herbert/AP Source: AP

PROSECUTORS have accused BP of letting greed triumph over safety in the opening of a multi-billion dollar trial over the devastating 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

A federal judge in New Orleans will determine how much BP and its subcontractors should pay for the worst environmental disaster in US history.

US prosecutors are determined to prove that gross negligence caused the April 20, 2010 blast that killed 11 workers and sank the BP-leased Deepwater Horizon rig, sending millions of barrels of oil gushing into the sea.

The US government plans to introduce ample evidence of "systemic problems of corporate recklessness" and how a "culture of disregard to safety" led to the blowout, said Michael Underhill, lead trial counsel for the United States.

"Reckless actions were tolerated, sometimes encouraged by BP to squeeze every dollar," he told the court.

Gulf Oil Spill

Prosecutors will try to prove gross negligence on the part of BP, which could increase its environment fines to US$17 billion. Picture: Charlie Riedel/AP

"Every fork in the road, BP chose time and money over safety in the operation of what (one rig worker) called the 'well from hell'."

BP is equally determined to avoid a finding of gross negligence, which would drastically increase its environmental fines to as much as $US17 billion ($A16.57 billion).

BP is also hoping to shift much of the blame - and cost - to rig operator Transocean and subcontractor Halliburton, which was responsible for the runaway well's faulty cement job.

Transocean's poor safety record was the focus of the first lawyer to speak, Jim Roy, who represents thousands of individuals and businesses impacted by the spill through a steering committee.

Gulf Oil Spill

An estimated 651 million litres of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico following the blast. Picture: Eric Gay/AP

Roy told the court that the Swiss giant's top safety official on the multimillion dollar rig "was not even minimally competent for this job".

"His training consisted of a three-day course. Amazingly, he had never been aboard the Deepwater Horizon," Roy said, noting that the blowout was the seventh major incident aboard a Transocean rig in the space of 17 months.

Transocean defended its "well-trained" crew whose "death-defying acts of heroism" ensured that "every single man and woman who could have survived, did", and described BP's attempt to shift the blame as "shameful".

"None of this had to happen. It happened because BP was behind schedule and needed to get this done," said Brad Brian, Transocean's lead lawyer.

Gulf Oil Spill

Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell has urged the federal court judge to ensure that BP and its contractors bear responsibility for their actions. Picture: Gerald Herbert/AP

"BP considered another alternative to this: Plug the well and abandon it. but that would have cost over $US10 million."

Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell urged the judge to ensure that BP and its contractors bear responsibility for their actions.

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