Transocean gets 249 lawsuits, claims over oil spill

ZURICH: Close to 250 lawsuits or claims have been filed against Transocean, the company which owns the BP-leased offshore rig behind the huge Gulf of Mexico oil spill, a filing by the firm showed Thursday.

"As of August 2, 2010, 249 legal actions or claims have been filed against Transocean entities, along with other unaffiliated defendants, in state and federal courts," said the Swiss-based group.

"Additionally, government agencies have initiated investigations into the Macondo well incident.

"We are evaluating all claims and intend to pursue any and all defenses available," it added in its quarterly report to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Transocean in May filed a petition in a US court to limit its liability in the spill to 27 million dollars.

"We believe we are not responsible for the discharged hydrocarbons from the Macondo well," Transocean reiterated in its report to the SEC.

The Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on April 20, claiming the lives of 11 workers and then sank, unleashing a torrent of oil into the Gulf.

At 4.9 million barrels, the disaster is the biggest maritime spill on record.

BP got the go ahead Thursday to seal the well in with cement, one of the final steps to plug the oil spill at the center of the worst US environmental disaster.

Transocean on Wednesday reported an 11.3 percent net drop in profits for the second quarter to 715 millions dollars.

Insurance companies are paying 267 million dollars in compensation to the company after the offshore rig was destroyed in the fire on April 20, it said.