BP faces a $13.7 billion fine after a federal judge ruled that its well spilled 3.19 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.
U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier set the oil spill count higher than BP’s estimate of 2.45 million barrels of crude but lower than the Justice Department’s 4.1 million barrels, the Houston Chronicle reports.
{mosads}Barbier found that BP was not grossly negligent when responding to the spill and attempting to bring it under control.
“It has not been shown that BP’s flow rate misrepresentations delayed the capping of the well or otherwise adversely affected source control,” Barbier wrote. “It has not been shown that the post blowout source control decisions or actions were unreasonable.”
The ruling sets up the next phase of the court hearings over the spill set to start Jan. 20.
BP told the Houston Chronicle that it is reviewing the court decision.