BP's US Offshore Challenges Grow

The amount of time BP will need to contain the spill will be paramount to determining the firm's ultimate costs and future in the US offshore

Catharina Milostan 4 May, 2010 | 4:58PM
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BP's response to contain the growing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico from its Macondo exploration well serves as a test to confirm whether the firm's safety-driven focus of the past few years has been effective. BP has the resources to cover environmental recovery costs and a diversified upstream portfolio to offset disruptions in the US offshore. However, a longer-term cost could be on the reputational front after BP is reviewed on current efforts. Constraints on future offshore oil drilling in the United States could have longer-term effects, slowing drilling and production growth plans in this region. Deep-water US production accounted for 11% of BP's total production in 2009, and major deep-water projects are under way to bring recent discoveries to production over the next few years. This includes appraisal and development plans for BP's giant oil discovery, Tiber, announced in late 2009.

BP is sparing no effort to close leaks near the wellhead and containing oil flowing to the surface, spending about $6 million per day on recovery and repair efforts. This includes using remote-operated vehicles to try to activate the subsea blowout preventer and use skimming, chemical dispersant, and barriers to contain the oil spill on the surface. Plans to drill a relief well to intercept and shut off oil flowing from the Macondo well could cost as much as $100 million. As efforts to stop and contain the oil spill continues, costs are climbing for BP and its partners. This could also include subsequent regulatory costs and potential litigation penalties, which could take years to resolve. The amount of time BP will need to contain the spill will be paramount to determining the firm's ultimate costs and future in the US offshore.

Catharina Milostan is an equity analyst for Morningstar.

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Securities Mentioned in Article

Security NamePriceChange (%)Morningstar
Rating
BP PLC382.00 GBX1.00Rating

About Author

Catharina Milostan  Catharina Milostan is a stock analyst with Morningstar.

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