[StBernard] Is anyone surprised?

[Westley Annis]

Deepwater owners seek to limit liability


By ANITA LEE - calee at sunherald.com 

Corporate owners of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig today petitioned a federal
court in Houston to limit their liability in a massive Gulf oil spill to the
value of the Deepwater Horizon, which the petition says would not exceed
$26.8 million.

However, an appraisal attached to the petition set its value at zero at the
end its voyage, which came April 22 when the rig sank after exploding. The
court must determine if action to limit liability is appropriate in this
case and, if so, set the rig's value.

"It means they're attempting to limit their exposure and liability," said
Ben Galloway, a Gulfport attorney whose firm is representing plaintiffs in
oil spill litigation. "It's not a surprise. We've been expecting this to be
filed." 


The owners would pay any money it may owe into a fund to be divided among
all injured parties. The corporations contend they are not liable for the
accident, but want those liabilities limited if the court finds otherwise.
The petition is filed in U.S. District Court in Houston.

The petitioners are Triton Asset Leasing GmBH, Transocean Holdings,
Transocean Offshore Deepwater Drilling and Transocean Deepwater Inc.

Read more about the case in Friday's Sun Herald. 


Read more:
http://www.sunherald.com/2010/05/12/2178739/deepwater-owners-seek-to-limit.h
tml#ixzz0nqfc38hu