BP's hopes of reaching a settlement over the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe were dealt a blow yesterday after it emerged that the US government intends to prove gross negligence or wilful misconduct at trial.
This time last year, the horrors of the Macondo well blow-out were only just starting to unfold as millions of barrels of oil began spilling into the marine environment from the shattered well, just a few miles off the Louisiana coastline.
Safety is a top priority for the oil&gas industry and, thankfully, accidents are rare. When they do happen, the sector has a particular way of deciding who should bear the costs.
