Wednesday, September 8, 2010

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- An internal report released by BP is spreading the blame for the April blowout of its well that killed 11 workers and spewed 206 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

The 193-page report is posted on BP's website. It blames workers at sea, other companies and a complex series of failures.

The incident is referred to as an accident that resulted from causes including interlinked mechanical failures, engineering design and human judgments.

But the report defends some parts of the well's design and is careful in its assessments. BP faces hundreds of lawsuits and billions of dollars of liabilities.

It had already publicly tried to shift some of the blame to rig owner Transocean and cement contractor Halliburton. BP was leasing the rig from Transocean but owned the well that blew out. A Transocean lawyer declined an immediate comment.

The report comes before any evidence has been analyzed. Several federal probes have yet to be completed.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)