"LONDON/NEW ORLEANS -- The trial to decide who should pay for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill has been delayed by a week, to allow BP Plc to try to cut a deal with tens of thousands of businesses and individuals affected by the disaster."

"Less than 24 hours before the case was set to start in a New Orleans federal court, U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier pushed back the date to March 5 from February 27.

The delay allows further talks between BP and the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee (PSC), which represents condominium owners, fishermen, hoteliers, restaurateurs and others who say their livelihoods were damaged by the April 20, 2010, explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig and subsequent oil spill."

Tom Bergin and Jonathan Stempel report for Reuters February 27, 2012. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Trial Over Lawsuits From Gulf Oil Spill Delayed, Allowing Another Week for Settlement Talks" (AP) [3]

"BP Said to Consider $14 Billion Spill Settlement" (Bloomberg)
[4]
"Gulf Oil Spill Trial -- Let The Fingerpointing Begin" (Reuters)
[5]
"BP, Anadarko Liable For U.S. Spill Damages" (Reuters) [6]