BP plans to begin its trial defense Monday

BP plans to call its 1st witness Monday at trial over 2010 Gulf oil spill

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- BP plans to call its first witness Monday at a trial designed to identify causes of its April 2010 well blowout and assign fault to the companies involved in the deadly disaster.

A federal judge heard testimony Wednesday by two expert witnesses for Halliburton, BP's cement contractor on the Deepwater Horizon drilling project.

BP is scheduled to begin presenting its defense after Halliburton rests its case. A BP lawyer told U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier that it expects to call its last witness between April 18 and April 23.

Barbier is hearing testimony without a jury. Barring a settlement, he could decide how much more money the companies owe for their roles in the blowout that led to the deaths of 11 workers and the nation's worst offshore oil spill.