Ex-BP executive testifies as trial winds down
Ex-BP executive testifies as 1st phase of trial over Gulf oil spill nears end
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- A former BP executive says he never heard any concerns before the deadly Deepwater Horizon disaster that the rig crew felt pressure to cut corners to finish a project that was behind schedule and over budget.
Patrick O'Bryan was BP's vice president of drilling and completions in the Gulf of Mexico at the time of the company's April 2010 well blowout. O'Bryan testified Wednesday at a trial over the catastrophe that everybody who worked on the project cared about safety.
O'Bryan was visiting the rig when the blowout triggered an explosion that killed 11 workers. He described a harrowing race to evacuate the burning rig after the blast.
BP is expected to call its last witness this week as the first phase of the trial draws to a close.
