GULF OIL SPILL | Updates as of Friday

June 19, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

BP CEO

The chairman of BP said embattled chief executive Tony Hayward is being relieved of day-to-day responsibility for managing the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. According to the transcript of an interview with Sky News television, chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg Svanberg says that Hayward “is now handing over the operations, the daily operations to [BP Managing Director] Bob Dudley.” It comes a day after Hayward’s grilling by a House committee. Hayward’s refusal to answer lawmakers’ questions, saying that he was out of the loop, infuriated committee members.

SLOW PAYMENTS

BP said it has paid a higher percentage of claims to those harmed by the Gulf spill than was indicated by data from the House Judiciary Committee. The committee said in a statement that only $71 million out of an estimated $600 million had been paid as of Tuesday. By dollar value, the House tally equals less than 12 percent of what’s been claimed. But, as of Friday, BP spokesman Scott Dean said the dollar value of payouts was $95 million.

BP CLAIMS

The head of a new office created to process claims from the BP oil spill said a plan to handle the remaining damage claims will be in place in 30 to 45 days. Kenneth Feinberg was chosen by President Barack Obama and BP to oversee the Independent Claims Facility.

METHANE

Vast amounts of natural gas contained in crude escaping from the blown well could pose a serious threat to marine life by creating “dead zones” where oxygen is so depleted that nothing lives. The danger presented by the methane has been largely overlooked, with early efforts to monitor the oil spill focusing on the more toxic components of oil. But scientists are increasingly worried about the gas that can suffocate sea creatures in high concentrations.

ENVIRONMENT

Oil industry groups said the spill doesn’t necessarily indicate problems with how environmental laws are applied in granting drilling permits. Anadarko Petroleum, which has a part-interest in the well that blew up, submitted comments to the White House Council on Environmental Quality, which is completing a 30-day review of the issue. So did the American Petroleum Institute, the oil and gas trade group.

CLEANUP CZAR

Gulf Coast environmentalists and business owners are skeptical of President Barack Obama’s plan to have his point man for recovery perform his job part time. And they’re worried the cleanup will become mired in bureaucratic deliberations. Obama tapped Navy Secretary and former Mississippi Gov. Ray Mabus this week for a job leading the environmental and economic recovery. Mabus is not stepping down from his day job, in which he oversees 900,000 Navy and Marine personnel.

FOREIGN HELP

At least 22 nations — including Britain, where BP is based — have offered oil-collecting skimmers, boom, technical experts and more to help the U.S. cope with its worst-ever environmental disaster. But their generosity comes with a price tag. The State Department confirmed that nearly every offer of equipment or expertise from a foreign government would require U.S. reimbursement.

BP EMPLOYEES

Far from the spill in the Gulf of Mexico and their bosses’ frantic attempts at damage control, BP workers for the oil giant are dodging awkward glances and tactfully avoiding any mention that they work for what may be America’s public enemy No. 1. In interviews with The Associated Press, more than a dozen BP employees from Alaska to North Carolina say they still love the company that has paid and treated them well for years. Now, they are just careful whom they share it with. In BP’s case, the public scorn is so great that a corporate security official felt compelled to send employees a memo warning them to keep a low profile and stay aware of their surroundings.

Anadarko statement

Anadarko Petroleum, the Texas oil company that owns 25 percent of the damaged well pouring crude into the Gulf of Mexico, said BP Plc, the well’s operator, should pay the costs from the disaster because of the reckless and unsafe way it drilled at the site. BP didn’t monitor or react to warning signs as the Macondo well was drilled, Chief Executive Officer Jim Hackett said Friday in a statement.

Associated Press