Partial Victory For Transocean in BP/Gulf Case (RIG, BP)

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By Jon C. Ogg Published

Transocean Ltd. (NYSE: RIG) is running higher in the after-hours after the WSJ reported that a federal judge has now ruled that BP PLC (NYSE: BP) is going to be required to indemnify Transocean as the owner of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig.  This indemnification is against “compensatory damages related to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, but isn’t required to protect the firm from punitive damage or civil penalties under the Clean Water Act.”

Effectively, the judge agrees with Transocean that the drilling company will not be liable for third party claims over oil spilled under the water surface in the Gulf of Mexico. Transocean still appears to be liable for punitive damages and civil penalties brought by the government, if there are any.  In short, there may not be a total victory but the blame and financial damage appears to be stuck on the shoulders of BP rather than Transocean.

Transocean shares are up 6% at $49.31 in the after-hours session against a 52-week range of $38.21 to $85.98.  BP shares (ADRs) are indicated down about 0.6% in the after-hours session around $44.50.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Photo of Jon C. Ogg
About the Author Jon C. Ogg →

Jon Ogg has been a financial news analyst since 1997. Mr. Ogg set up one of the first audio squawk box services for traders called TTN, which he sold in 2003. He has previously worked as a licensed broker to some of the top U.S. and E.U. financial institutions, managed capital, and has raised private capital at the seed and venture stage. He has lived in Copenhagen, Denmark, as well as New York and Chicago, and he now lives in Houston, Texas. Jon received a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance at University of Houston in 1992. www.247wallst.com.

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