bp plc

Midday Market Minute: BP, Gulf Coast Oil Spillers Face Day in Court

Nearly three years after a deepwater well rupture killed 11 men, sank a rig and spewed 4 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, BP and the other companies involved are scheduled to face their judge in court. The trial is set to start Monday in New Orleans before a federal judge, but a settlement is possible.

AG Holder: $4.5 Billion Settlement Not the End of BP Oil Spill Probe

Two men who worked for BP during the 2010 Gulf oil spill disaster have been charged with manslaughter, hours after BP announced it was paying $4.5 billion in a settlement with the U.S. government over the disaster. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said the criminal investigation is continuing.

Big Oil Isn't as Profitable as Everyone Thinks

Americans spend a lot of money on oil: about $632 billion a year. And the big oil producers report eye-popping annual profits, like ExxonMobil's $41 billion in 2011. Numbers like that may make you feel like we're getting robbed at the pump ... but it's not that simple.

BP Sells Some Gulf of Mexico Assets for $5.55 Billion

Oil company BP said Monday it is selling some deep-water assets in the Gulf Mexico to Plains Exploration & Production Co. for $5.55 billion, a big step in the BP's drive to cover the cost of its oil well blowout in the Gulf two years ago and concentrate investment elsewhere.

The Global 500: No Borders, No Boundaries

Despite financial turmoil in Europe and disasters in Japan, the world's largest corporations had record profits and revenue in 2011. Where on Earth will the growth come from next?

How to Heat Your Home for Free (or Profit) This Winter

Like they say: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. With the price of home heating oil on the rise, and likely to go on rising due to global politics, now might be a good time to place a bet on oil to hedge against the costs of keeping the homestead warm.

Why BP Will Never Be Great Again

BP has big problems, and not just because of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and the $20 billion compensation fund it set up to pay the victims. The petro-giant has been missing Wall Street's profit targets lately, thanks to sloppy operations and a general trend toward lower gasoline consumption.

Why Bank of America Will Never Be Great Again

Bank of America did the right thing this week, nixing its notorious $5 a month debit card fee before it began. But B of A can't win, and even now, financial journalists are wondering how it will find ways to nickel and dime its way back from this week's fee retreat at the expense of its customers.

BP Station Owners: Surviving a Debacle and Rebounding

Facing widespread calls for boycotts, owners responded by hammering home the message that the U.K. oil company doesn't own most of the retail locations that bear its name. Now as anger fades, business is coming back, and few owners ditched the brand.

Costner Hit With Lawsuit Over Oil-Spill Cleaning Device

Stephen Baldwin has sued fellow actor Kevin Costner over the sale of technology used to help clean the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Baldwin says Costner owes him a share of an $18 million deposit that BP made as part of a larger purchase.

BP Weighs Sale of North Sea Assets to Cover Gulf Costs

BP is apparently considering the $1 billion sale of some of its assets in the North Sea as it tries to cover cleanup costs from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The company's Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico exploded in April, leading to the most massive oil spill in U.S. history.

Oil Spill Investigator Says No Corners Cut

The lead investigator for the presidential panel's investigation of April's Deepwater Horizon oil-spill disaster that killed 11 workers refuted previous reports that the rig's majority owner BP Plc and contractor Halliburton Co. compromised safety by cutting corners during the rig's construction, the New York Times reported.

Gulf of Mexico Reopened to Oil and Gas Drilling

In a move aimed at boosting economic activity, the Obama administration has reopened the Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas drilling about six weeks ahead of schedule. The Gulf had been closed to drilling after the three-month BP oil spill, the worst such spill in history.