Halliburton Filed Claims Against BP In Texas State Court

- Halliburton Filed Claims Against BP In Texas State Court



Sep 2, 2011

Halliburton (NYSE:HAL) filed claims against BP (NYSE:BP) in Texas state court for negligent misrepresentation, business disparagement and defamation related to the April 20, 2010, Macondo incident.

The company also moved to amend its claims against BP in the multi-district litigation in New Orleans, Louisiana, to include fraud.

Halliburton has a potential upside of 66.9% based on a current price of $43.02 and an average consensus analyst price target of $71.79.

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Halliburton Sues BP In Texas - Alleges Misrepresentation

- Halliburton Files Lawsuit Against BP

Friday, September 02, 2011
Halliburton Co.

On September 1, 2011, Halliburton filed claims against BP in Texas state court for negligent misrepresentation, business disparagement and defamation related to the April 20, 2010, Macondo incident. Halliburton has also moved to amend its claims against BP in the multi-district litigation in New Orleans, Louisiana, to include fraud.

These allegations are based upon BP providing Halliburton with inaccurate information prior to performing cementing services on April 19, 2010, and BP's use of and omission of that information in subsequent public statements, filings and governmental investigations.

Halliburton has learned that BP provided Halliburton inaccurate information about the actual location of hydrocarbon zones in the Macondo well. The actual location of the hydrocarbon zones is critical information required prior to performing cementing services and is necessary to achieve desired cement placement.

Halliburton remains confident that all the work it performed with respect to the Macondo well was completed in accordance with BP's specifications for its well construction plan and instructions, and that Halliburton is fully indemnified under the contract.

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Halliburton Sues BP In Texas - Alleges Misrepresentation

Friday, September 02, 2011
Dow Jones Newswires
by Melodie Warner

Halliburton filed a negligent misrepresentation, business disparagement and defamation lawsuit against BP in Texas state court related to the April 2010 Macondo explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Halliburton has also moved to amend its multi-district litigation in New Orleans to include fraud claims against BP.

The oilfield-services company alleges BP provided Halliburton with inaccurate information--such as the actual location of hydrocarbon zones in the Macondo well--before cementing services began on April 19, 2010. Halliburton also claims BP has used and omitted that information in subsequent public statements, filings and governmental investigations.

"This lawsuit is the latest attempt by Halliburton to divert attention from its role in the Deepwater Horizon incident and its failure to meet its responsibilities," BP said in a statement. The energy giant said it has accepted responsibility for responding to the spill and is accordingly paying costs and compensation. BP "expects other parties to accept their responsibilities and bear their share of the costs," the statement said.

Last fall, BP released a report that largely faulted Transocean, the owner of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, and Halliburton for last year's disastrous Gulf of Mexico oil spill. While government investigations have generally assigned blame to both BP and its contractors, Transocean disclosed an internal investigation in June that focused almost entirely on decisions made by BP.

Halliburton said Friday it remains confident that all the work it performed was completed in accordance with BP's specifications, and that Halliburton is fully indemnified under the contract.

Shares of Halliburton were trading 2.8% lower at $41.83 moments after the opening bell.

Copyright (c) 2011 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.


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Suncor Reviewing New U.S. Sanctions Against Syria

- Suncor Reviewing New U.S. Sanctions Against Syria



Aug 19, 2011

Suncor Energy (NYSE:SU) is reviewing new U.S. sanctions imposed on the Syrian government and a company spokesman said they would adhere to any that affect its otperations.

Suncor operates the $1.21 billion Ebla project there, which supplies natural gas to the domestic market.

Suncor Energy (NYSE:SU) has a potential upside of 71% based on a current price of $30.06 and an average consensus analyst price target of $51.39.

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Lawsuit Against BP Tossed

- Lawsuit Against BP Tossed

Monday, July 18, 2011
Houston Chronicle
by Tom Fowler

A federal judge has dismissed racketeering claims brought by Gulf Coast businesses and residents against BP for last year's massive oil spill.

The plaintiffs alleged that BP defrauded regulators in connection with the safety of its drilling operations and its response to the spill. They invoked the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a law typically used against organized crime.

U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier dismissed the claims Friday. The decision does not affect other damage claims still pending from the same plaintiffs.

The judge also set aside a lawsuit filed against BP by Anadarko Petroleum Corp., one of its partners on the Macondo well. He ruled that the two companies' prior contractual agreements required them to try to settle such disputes through arbitration before suing.

Anadarko argued that BP had voided that requirement by, among other things, demanding that Anadarko produce evidence in the civil case.

"We respect today's decision, which does nothing to diminish our claims; it simply addresses the venue in which they may be resolved," Anadarko spokesman John Christiansen said in a statement.

Anadarko has not set aside funds explicitly for possible spill-related liabilities but has said during analyst meetings that it has up to $3.4 billion in cash on hand and a $5 billion credit line it acquired after the accident.

BP, which has set aside more than $40 billion in reserves, said in a prepared statement after the ruling that Anadarko shares liability under the federal Oil Pollution Act.

"Anadarko has blatantly disregarded its responsibilities to the residents of the Gulf Coast by failing to pay its fair share of the costs relating to the accident and resulting spill," it said. "BP remains focused on ensuring that Anadarko lives up to its obligations as a co-leasehold owner of the Macondo prospect and as a 'responsible party' under OPA."

Copyright (c) 2011, Houston Chronicle. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

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Transocean Files Cross-Claims against BP

Transocean Files Cross-Claims against BP

Thursday, April 21, 2011
Transocean Ltd.

Transocean announced that an affiliate of BP on April 20, 2011 filed a cross-claim against Transocean entities in the existing Multi-District Litigation proceeding in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana for contribution pursuant to the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. Pursuant to an order of the court, co-defendants in a consolidated proceeding related to the Macondo well incident were required to file claims by April 20, 2011.

To protect its rights, Transocean also filed cross-claims against BP entities and other parties involved in the Macondo well incident to enforce its indemnification rights.

Under the drilling contract for Deepwater Horizon, BP has agreed, among other things, to assume full responsibility for and defend, release and indemnify Transocean from any loss, expense, claim, fine, penalty or liability for pollution or contamination, including control and removal thereof, arising out of or connected with operations under the contract. Transocean expects BP to honor its contractual indemnification obligations under the contract. The Deepwater Horizon drilling contract with BP can be found in the company's August 4, 2010 10Q filing with the SEC.

BP Files Suit Against Halliburton

BP Files Suit Against Halliburton

Thursday, April 21, 2011
The Wall Street Journal
by Guy Chazan

BP said it had filed a lawsuit against Halliburton, claiming its "misconduct" contributed to last year's Deepwater Horizon disaster that led to the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history.

The lawsuit was filed Wednesday, the first anniversary of the blowout on BP's Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico that destroyed the Deepwater Horizon rig and killed 11 men. It came shortly after BP filed suit against two other contractors, Transocean, the Deepwater Horizon's owner and operator, and Cameron, which manufactured a critical safety device called a blowout preventer.

Wednesday saw the expiration of a court-issued deadline to make filings preserving the right to sue companies involved in the spill.

Aside from BP, the main owner of the Macondo well, no company has faced more criticism over the disaster than Halliburton. It designed the failed cement seal that experts think allowed explosive gas to flow into the well and reach the Deepwater Horizon. Halliburton doesn't deny the seal failed but argues BP should have run tests that would have revealed the problem.

In the filing, BP said its action was to hold Halliburton accountable for "improper conduct, errors and omissions, including fraud and concealment." In a statement, it said the President Commission that investigated the Gulf disaster concluded that the cement slurry designed, mixed and pumped by Halliburton failed, that the company didn't provide BP with the results of failed cement tests and that its technicians "missed critical signals that hydrocarbons were flowing into the wellbore." "The record is clear that Halliburton's misconduct contributed to the accident and spill," it said.

Halliburton said it would "vigorously deny these claims."

A BP spokesman said the company wasn't suing Halliburton for a particular sum, but would ask for damages of up to the total cost of the spill. Last year, BP set aside $40.9 billion for spill-related costs.

Earlier, BP filed claims against Transocean and Cameron, maker of the blowout preventer, a huge set of valves designed to shut down a well in an emergency. BP contended that if the blowout preventer had functioned properly, the spill could have been largely avoided.

The BP complaint said Transocean was responsible for multiple failures of safety devices and well control procedures. It said BP was seeking at least $40 billion in damages. BP also seeks to force Cameron to contribute all or part of the damages that could be levied against the oil giant by the federal government.

Cameron said in a statement that it was "not surprising" that the companies are filing to protect their indemnity rights, adding that in order to protect itself it had filed counterclaims against other parties to the litigation. A Transocean spokesman called the BP lawsuit "specious and unconscionable." It said its contract with BP indemnified it against all claims related to pollution and environmental damage.

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China Warns Against South China Sea Oil Exploration

China Warns Against South China Sea Oil Exploration

Thursday, March 24, 2011 Dow Jones Newswires

China warned against any oil exploration without its consent in waters it claims in the South China Sea, after the Philippines announced plans for possible drilling.

Manila's Department of Energy said Wednesday that U.K.-based Forum Energy had completed a seismic survey for the Reed Bank, near the disputed Spratly Islands.

The Spratlys are called the Nansha Islands in Chinese and claimed by Beijing.

"China holds indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and the adjacent sea waters," foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters when asked for comment on the plan.

"Any activities by countries or companies to explore for oil or gas in the sea waters in China's jurisdiction without the permission of the Chinese government will constitute a violation of China's sovereignty and...will be illegal and invalid."

Jiang didn't make any direct reference to the Philippines or Forum Energy, nor did she say the survey area was actually in waters under Chinese jurisdiction.

Chinese embassy officials in the Philippines earlier requested a copy of the Forum Energy announcement, but didn't return subsequent calls.

On Wednesday, Forum Energy said it used the survey data to evaluate the commercial potential of the block and to "help identify the best location for possible appraisal wells to be drilled."

The Reed Bank lies about 150 kilometers east of the reputedly oil-rich Spratlys, which are claimed in whole or in part by Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines and China.

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