Two key players in the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico are engaged in a public shouting match over document production to protect themselves from hundreds of lawsuits, Press TV reported.
The April 20 explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig killed 11 workers and has caused the worst environmental disaster in US history.
The parties involved in the disaster, mainly the rig owner Transocean and operator BP, are in crisis management mode to protect themselves from hundreds of lawsuits they are facing, Politico reported on Thursday.
In an open letter to the oil giant, Transocean has criticized BP for withholding 16 pieces of vital information about the accident. This includes laboratory tests, logs that show transfers to the Deepwater Horizon, and charts identifying BP personnel working on the rig.
In response, BP accused Transocean of trying to influence public opinion and draw attention away from itself.
The oil giant has a history of non-cooperative behavior, going back to the controversy on the flow rate of the crude gushing into the Gulf in the early days of the disaster.
At the time, US officials accused BP of withholding critical information that would have determined the exact amount of oil pouring into the ocean.