'Deal reached' over BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill
ASTANA. March 3. KAZINFORM. A group representing plaintiffs suing BP over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig spill has reached a settlement with the company, a US judge says, Kazinform refers to BBC
A trial, due to begin on Monday, will now be delayed - for a second time - as a result of the deal, Judge Carl Barbier said .
The settlement will "likely result in a realignment of the parties," he said.
The rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010, killing 11 workers and leaking four million barrels of oil.
The trial is now being adjourned "in order to allow the parties to reassess their respective positions," Judge Barbier said.
There has been no confirmation of any agreement from either BP or representatives of the plaintiffs.
The trial was due to resolve claims for damages and civil penalties arising from the spill. BP and its partners face the threat of tens of billions of dollars in fines and penalties if found grossly negligent in the case.
Judge Barbier is an expert in maritime law and has consolidated hundreds of spill-related lawsuits into a single case.
He is tasked with determining how much of the blame rests with each party and whether punitive damages should be imposed.
BP has so far paid $7.5bn in clean-up costs and compensation.
US President Barack Obama called the spill "the worst environmental disaster the nation has ever faced".
It took 85 days to permanently stop the release of crude oil.