Transocean slams BP's 'self-serving' Gulf of Mexico disaster report

Transocean, the rig operator at the disaster-struck Deepwater Horizon well and oil services group Halliburton have hit out at a BP report that says the pair share the blame for the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico that killed 11 and led to the largest offshore spill in US history.

A spokesman for rig owner Transocean said: 'this is a self-serving report that attempts to conceal the critical factor that set the stage for the Macondo incident: BP’s fatally flawed well design.'

The BP report - by the group's safety chief Mark Bly and 50 investigators - claims that responsibility for the disaster lies with 'a number of parties' including Transocean and Halliburton, which was responsible for cementing the well.

But Transocean's spokesman said cost-saving decisions made exclusively by BP about the design and construction of the well 'increased risk – in some cases, severely'.

The spokesman added that BP had also decided not to test the cement work at the bottom of the well - something BP's own report says was a key factor in the tragedy.

And a spokesman for Halliburton said the BP report has 'a number of substantial omissions and inaccuracies' and said the work it carried out 'was completed in accordance with BP’s specifications'.

He echoed the comments from Transocean saying 'Contractors do not specify well design or make decisions regarding testing procedures as that responsibility lies with the well owner.' 

BP's report identified six main reasons for the disaster including the cementing and the actions of Transocean and BP staff.

Importantly, the report challenged claims by US government officials and a number of leading newspapers including the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times that the well design - chosen because it was cheaper - was to blame. 

'It would appear unlikely that the well design contributed to the incident, as the investigation found that the hydrocarbons flowed up the production casing through the bottom of the well,' said chief executive Tony Hayward in a statement alongside a report.