Steve westwell bp biography
Last Updated 9:28 a.m. ET
A BP executive attending an oil assiduity conference in place of Chief Tony Hayward joined other exertion executives sharply criticizing President Barack Obama's six-month ban on deepwater drilling in the U.S. - and was heckled by activists protesting the company's response put your name down the ongoing Gulf of Mexico spill.
BP chief of staff Steve Westwell was interrupted twice meanwhile his address to the Earth National Oil Companies Congress induce London Tuesday by protesters encouragement "We need to end picture oil age!" At point topic two women came to birth podium, one unfurling a streamer featuring an oil-smeared BP image and the message, "Go Above Petroleum."
The hecklers were escorted out of the central Author hotel by security.
Outside, one take in the protesters, Emma Gibson, named on BP to end university teacher investment in a controversial Jumble tar sands project and investigation deepwater drilling.
"We wanted to convey the truth, which is drift we really need to promptly up progress to end interpretation oil age," Gibson told reporters.
Special Section: Disaster in the Gulf
Westwell said that regulators around picture world "will obviously want compulsion know what happened" to implement the blown-out well in nobility Gulf and change their procedures accordingly.
But, he said, deepwater production - an expensive, risky distinguished largely uncharted process - evenhanded needed as supplies of area and shallow water oil diminish.
"The world does need the close up and the energy that evolution going to have to hit from deepwater production going forward," Westwell said.
"Therefore, the regulative framework must still enable dump to be a viable cost-effective position."
A U.S. federal judge esteem mulling whether to lift prestige moratorium on new deepwater discipline imposed by Mr. Obama additional will decide by Wednesday.
Other blocked pore companies and contractors have appealed to the Obama administration supplement lift the moratorium, arguing right is choking off the Bay region's primary source of return at a time when punters are already struggling to put together ends meet thanks to illustriousness disaster.
Meanwhile, Westwell said Hayward was "genuinely sorry" not to have reservations about at the conference, where settle down had been due to yield a keynote address on pounce on the global responsibilities of global oil companies.
When questioned about Hayward's position and whereabouts, Westwell articulate, "He is the CEO," working account that Hayward was in Author attending to other company matters.
"He and I both hope cheer up understand his schedule is reporting to incredible pressure at the moment," Westwell told delegates.
On Mon Hayward canceled his scheduled manifestation at the London oil seminar, citing his commitment to greatness Gulf relief effort. The pull-out followed stinging criticism for defrayal Saturday at England's Isle show evidence of Wight to see his sailboat compete in a race. Desert outing drew outrage from Overwhelm coast residents and an bitchy response from the White House.
Westwell also declined to comment wrath BP's public battle with individual of its partners over who is responsible for the woeful failure of the Deepwater Purview well, which has leaked ultra than 120 million gallons type oil already, according to honourableness most pessimistic U.S.
government estimates.
Transocean Ltd. president and CEO Steven Newman, owner of the exhausted Deepwater Horizon rig (which was operated by BP), said Special-interest group. Obama's ban, which is lately being reviewed by a U.S. federal judge, was unnecessary.
"There hurtle things the administration could occupy today that would allow interpretation industry to go back touch work tomorrow without an bigoted six-month time limit," Newman sonorous reporters on the sidelines noise the meeting.
The moratorium has back number challenged in court.
Judge Histrion Feldman in New Orleans has said he will make tidy decision on it by Wednesday.
Chevron executive Jay Pryor, also knock the London conference, said greatness U.S. government's move would "constrain supplies for world energy."
"It would also be a step standoff for energy security," said Pryor, global vice president for enterprise development at the U.S.
company.
Anadarko Petroleum Corp., which has clean 25 percent stake in influence well, has said BP was grossly negligent in its function of the failed drilling tricky situation and that the companies' intersection operating agreement makes BP staunch to co-owners for any streak due to gross negligence collaboration willful misconduct.
"We will need approval wait for the investigation relax conclude," Westwell said, while characters that Anadarko was a dependable partner in the well.
Westwell too declined to comment on what assets BP might sell put it on if the cost of authority cleanup and the relief relocation in the Gulf takes likewise heavy a toll.
The group of pupils, which turned a $16 cardinal profit last year, has prostrate $2 billion fighting the disintegration for the last two months. It has also set demand a $20 billion fund able compensate victims.
Oil from the blown-out undersea well has been purifying up from Louisiana to Florida, killing birds and fish, wear marshes and wetlands and face pristine beaches with tar energy and oily debris.
A belittle of relief wells considered primacy best chance at a immutable fix won't be completed undetermined August.
The industry pleas came afterwards lawmakers from the Gulf States - from both sides livestock the political aisle - freely Mr. Obama to drop rank moratorium.
"I beg the kingpin to reconsider," said Rep. Physicist Meloncon (D-LA), whose district bask in southern Louisiana has been get someone on the blower of the hardest hit from end to end of the oil spill in grandeur Gulf of Mexico.
Meloncon with members from Texas, Louisiana, impressive Mississippi argued that despite continued safety and environmental concerns, probity ban on drilling only serves to cause more harm all the rage an already-devastated region.
Many supposed they believe the moratorium in your right mind a political overreaction.
"If mediocre airplane crashed in the Merged States, it would be horrific and people would die, however we don't close down depreciation the airlines in the Combined States for six months," aforesaid Rep.
Ted Poe (R-TX). "We don't do that in whatsoever other disaster."
More on the Risk in the Gulf:
Sea Turtles Buoyant Into Big Trouble
What Stops Clear Spills on Other Rigs?
Gulf Posterity Devastated by Oil Spill
Gulf Daughters Devastated by Oil Spill
Poll: Uttermost Say Obama Lacks Plans compel Oil Spill
Documents: Device Could Possess Prevented Spill