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Browne's blast deposition delayed



By Upstream staff 

A court-ordered deposition by BP chief executive John Browne in a lawsuit arising from a deadly 2005 explosion at the oil company's Texas refinery has been postponed from tomorrow to resolve legal issues, an attorney representing workers injured in the blast said today.

"We've agreed to postpone it," said Brent Coon. "We're still planning to depose him. We want to resolve some of the judicial issues before we do so."

Coon declined to describe the judicial issues.

No new date was set for the deposition, which had been scheduled to be taken tomorrow in the London offices of a Houston-based Fulbright & Jaworkski, Reuters reported.

A BP spokesman declined to comment on the postponement.

BP has filed a request with the Texas Supreme Court to stay a state Appeals Court order, issued on 9 February, allowing the deposition to go forward. The deposition had been on hold since late last year.

US supermajor ExxonMobil and leading Texas business and industry organisations have also filed a brief with the state Supreme Court asking for the Appeals Court order to be overturned.

The explosion, on 23 March 2005, killed 15 workers and hurt 170 others.


Friday, 23 February, 2007, 03:56 GMT  | last updated: Friday, 23 February, 2007, 03:56 GMT

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