US regulators issue more spill-related fines to BP
By TENNILLE TRACY
US regulators have issued additional violations to BP for its role in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, raising the level of fines that the company is likely to pay.
The rule violations announced Wednesday represent the second set of charges issued to the company. The first set, also identifying violations by contractor companies Transocean and Halliburton, was issued in October. 
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement announced Wednesday it issued five non-compliance violations to BP, saying the company failed to conduct pressure integrity tests at the Macondo well and suspend drilling operations when safety became compromised.
"Further review of the evidence demonstrated additional regulatory violations by BP in its drilling and abandonment operations at the Macondo well," BSEE director James Watson said in a statement.
The violations lay the foundation for civil penalties that are likely to be imposed by the federal government.
Responding to Wednesday's charges, BP said that "the issues raised in today's [violations] regarding drilling margins and related integrity testing played no causal role in the accident. BP intends to appeal these [incidents of non-compliance], as well as those issued several weeks ago."
Bureau regulators were not available for immediate comment.
Dow Jones Newswires
Comments