BP Government Contracts Doubled Since Gulf Spill
Following the worst oil spill in U.S. history, some question the acceleration of government contracts granted to BP prior to suspension.
Since the BP oil spilling the Gulf of Mexico in April 2011, the company’s government contracts to drill have more than doubled. Awards rose from $1.04 billion in 2010 to $2.51 by September 2012.
BP was an eligible contractor until Nov. 28, when the company pled guilty to criminal manslaughter charges in relation to the spill. The April 20, 2010 Deepwater Horizon well blowout killed 11 BP workers, and the skill contaminated hundreds of miles of water and shorelines in the Gulf Coast.
Additionally, while the company is now suspended, the current contracts that it has with the government will remain intact.
Government officials claim that contracts were awarded based on the companies’ competitive prices