BP partner refuses to pay $1.2-bn oil spill bill

WASHINGTON: BP partner Anadarko has been billed 1.2 billion dollars to clean up the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, but will refuse to pay, according to company documents.

The Texas-based firm said it had received bills from BP totaling 1.2 billion dollars in documents filed with US regulators on Tuesday.

Anadarko had a 25 per cent share in the Macondo well project that ended in disaster when the BP-leased Deepwater Horizon rig exploded over 100 days ago, spewing oil into the Gulf of Mexico and creating the biggest ever spill.

The firm could be liable for a quarter of the clean-up costs, but said it will not pay because the spill was "preventable and the direct result of BP's decisions, omissions and actions, and likely constitute gross negligence or willful misconduct by BP.

"Anadarko has withheld payment of Deepwater Horizon event-related invoices received from BP as of the date of this filing," the company said.

Anadarko's market capitalization is around 27.5 billion dollars and it says it has a line of credit, if needed, of up to 6.5 billion dollars.