Feds Claim Anadarko Liable For Gulf Spill -- Bloomberg

Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE: APC), which held a 25% non-operating interest in the Macondo well project, is liable for damages under the Oil Pollution Act and Clean Water Act, the Justice Department claims, according to a report by Bloomberg News.Texas-based Anadarko asked a federal judge to dismiss it from the DoJ suit. The company has also pursued litigation against BP (NYSE: BP), Europe's second-largest oil company and the operator of the Deepwater Horzion, though Anadarko did say last month it would entertain a settlement with the British oil giant under the proper circumstances. “Liability under OPA and CWA is so straightforward here that the court -- rather than dismissing the complaint -- should enter summary judgment in favor of the United States,” the government said, according to Bloomberg.Anadarko says it is reviewing the filing.Earlier this year, Moody's Investors Service said Anadarko, BP and Transocean (NYSE: RIG), the owner of the Deepwater Horizon rig, could face $40 billion to $60 billion in potential damages stemming from the largest oil spill in U.S. history.The Deepwater Horizon exploded on April 20, 2010, killing 11 workers aboard the rig.