BP and Transocean are at odds over who should get possession of a key piece of evidence in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill investigation once additional testing is complete. Transocean, responsible for maintaining the blowout preventer that failed to stop last year’s oil spill, argues it is best equipped to preserve the 300-ton device and wants it back. But BP told a federal magistrate judge in a letter filed by the court today that the blowout preventer shouldn’t be given to one of the defendants in numerous lawsuits filed over the disaster. It contends the government should safeguard it at least until the end of a trial set for February that is related to the lawsuits.
The government has said the blowout preventer failed because of a design flaw and a bent piece of pipe. BP, dissatisfied with the analysis, got court approval for additional testing. The government has said it doesn’t expect its conclusions to change, though BP and other companies could use the results of the additional testing to defend themselves in the lawsuits. The additional testing is wrapping up at a NASA facility in New Orleans, and the court has asked the parties to weigh in on what should be done with the device.
