Barbier orders Anadarko-BP dispute to arbitration

U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier ordered that claims brought on by Anadarko against its partner BP in the failed Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico need to be settled in arbitration.

Anadarko owned a quarter of the blown-out well that led to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oilrig explosion and oil spill in the Gulf.

BP and Anadarko are defendants in the massive multi-district litigation(MDL) taking place in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

Attorneys for Anadarko filed a lawsuit against BP, stating it should not be held responsible for any damages or cleanup as a result of the oil spill.

BP countered with a motion to stay Anadarko's suit, pointing to the companies' partnership agreement, which states any legal dispute need to be first brought to arbitration.

Barbier ruled in favor of BP on July 15 at a status conference for the oil spill MDL.

Federal MDL 2:10-md-2179