Halliburton shielded from some spill claims

Halliburton: Like Transocean, escapes portion of Macondo claims

SCANPIX/AP

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By News Wires

 31 January 2012 21:23 GMT

BP must reimburse Halliburton from compensatory claims under its Deepwater Horizon drilling contract, a US judge said Tuesday according to a report.

Halliburton, however, could be held be liable for punitive damages or civil penalties under the Clean Water Act, Dow Jones reported, citing New Orleans federal judge Carl Barbier.

Halliburton is protected from third-party compensatory claims "that arise from pollution or contamination that did not originate from the property or equipment of Halliburton located above the surface of the land or water, even if Halliburton caused the pollution," Barbier wrote.

In addition, the judge said that the contract's protection could be voided by fraud. BP has accused Halliburton of making fraudulent statements regarding the…

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