It accuses BP executives of behaviour, words and actions that ?would not be tolerated in a middling-size company manufacturing dry goods for sale in a suburban mall? ? let alone a company engaged in an activity that its then-chief executive Tony Hayward described as ?comparable to exploring outer space?.
It also takes BP to task over its ?one-sided? claims that the natural resources in the Gulf are undergoing a ?robust recovery?.
Richard Griffith, an analyst at Oriel Securities, said that while the gross negligence claims were not new, ?the tone of the DOJ is clearly disappointing as it would appear to suggest that hope for an out-of-court settlement is fading?.
?The risk is that the trial process could now drag on over several years,? he said. He also noted that, with the US election looming, ?there are absolutely no votes lost from kicking an oil company?.
Stuart Joyner, an analyst at Investec, said: ?I suspect this is just posturing by the DOJ, but it does kick into touch the view that you will get a settlement now.?
A BP spokesman said: ?BP believes it was not grossly negligent and looks forward to presenting evidence on this issue at trial in January.?
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