Gulf oil spill: Tony Hayward replaced as head of BP oil cleanup effort

A day after its chief executive's widely panned appearance before Congress, BP said Friday that it would replace Tony Hayward as head of its oil-spill cleanup effort.

In an interview with Britain's Sky News, BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg said Hayward will relinquish daily oversight to Robert Dudley, a BP managing director who started his career at Chicago-based Amoco Corp., which BP bought in 1998. Dudley will report to Hayward, who will remain as CEO.

A BP spokesman said afterward that the handoff to Dudley had long been in the works and was publicly announced two weeks ago. But Svanberg's comments appeared to indicate a growing frustration with Hayward's public-relations handling of the crisis, which was capped Thursday by his verbal sparring with members of a House committee investigating the disastrous Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

"It is clear Tony has made remarks that have upset people," Svanberg said.

From early in the crisis, Hayward has made a series of fumbles that critics interpreted as signs of callouness and detachment. His comment to reporters in late May that "I want my life back," sparked a firestorm from those who said it demonstrated BP's disregard for the suffering of those in the gulf region.

The damage worsened in his congressional appearance Thursday. Hayward spoke in a steady monotone, stressed that he wasn't involved in key decisions before the deadly April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig and wouldn't comment on the cause of the accident.

"Unfortunately in most cases he did not have good answers – or give any answers," said Fadel Gheit, an analyst at Oppenheimer & Co. in New York. "He obviously was unprepared and ill-equipped to go through this inquisition."

-- Walter Hamilton

Photo: Tony Hayward on a despoiled beach in Port Fourchon last month. Credit: Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[johnjasonchundotcom]

That's how I answer any "deposition".... with "empty answers".... so they get nothing from me!

[Atticus]

This is one upset dog...literally. To view the spill from a humorous canine's perspective, please check out this "commentary to give you paws..."
http://atticusuncensored.wordpress.com/2010/06/18/and-in-other-news/

[Big Jim Slade]

I nearly broke out in tears laughing at the accompanying Barbara Boxer ad to this meaningless article.

Apparently she wants to see the words "Made in America again". What a joke! Anybody here see any efforts on her part to save the last car manufacturing plant up in Fremont, which closed two months ago?

She's been twiddling her thumbs for the last 18 YEARS in the Senate while doing everything she could to shut down California's economy. Quick, name ANYTHING she's done for California. ANY pork she's brought home. THERE IS NOTHING.

Run her out of town on a rail... Better yet, go swim with the smelts.

Bye Bye Barbara

[Tom Lakosh]

Tony gave just enough testimony to convict him of criminally negligent homicide. He knew that deep water drilling was unusually hazardous with potentially catastrophic complications and that the BOP was considered to be the ultimate fail safe. The negligence comes in his failure as CEO to establish any policies or communication directives to warn him of unusual developments that could produce the feared catastrophe, particularly regarding problems with, or the reliability of, the BOP. It was his duty to intervene to protect life and property from a known catastrophic result when these problems occurred several times over the days and months leading to the disaster but he chose not to be involved to any extent beyond being notified of the oil find. Just like a brakeman asleep or texting before a train wreck, his rosy checks should be introduced to Bubba in a 6' X 10' cell.

[Anya]

Maybe Mr. Hayward was advised by legal counsel on behalf of BP not to offer too many comments regarding the accident, since he was not physically present at the site. Saying too much when he doesn't know a whole lot can really damage BP. I am sure he was coached about what to say and what not to say to his inquisitors.

[Barbara]

Inquisition? I don't think so. Even though the committee was stern - he hardly had an inquisition. After what has happened in the Gulf and what will happen there for the foreseeable future - and the fact that he seemed oddly detached and somewhat annoyed - I think he got off with a light hand slap.

It looked as though he had taken a handful of Xanax before the hearings and was just waiting for them to be done, so he could leave.

I am kind of pleased that BP would "demote" him - that may hurt him more than anything Congress could do. Of course his compensation will probably remain the same. It appears that you can "fail upward" in the oil business just like Hollywood. Of course, out here - people don't die when that happens...