[danielnicollet]

Unbelievable. Especially after reading the official word from Innocentive posted by shaddi in this thread. Do we know at least what BP's rationale. They seem to be focused on spending minimally on additional efforts to close the open well or cleanup the spill and really rely on the August relief well as the only worth investment right now.

Their rationale: Can't just be cost containment? That would be so idiotic and short sighted! They are going to be dealing with this as a corporation for decades...

They should be owning up to it now. But maybe it's just short sightedness of the people in charge currently. They will likely all be retired long before this is over...

[eitally]

The rationale is simple: it freaking complex for a large corporation to navigate legal wranglings with "normal" trading partners during the best of times; given that they are currently embroiled in what already may bankrupt them, it does not make sense to embark upon a partnership with an unknown entity type.

Put simply -- they know what they know and they know what they don't know, and they're worried that if they step outside the comfort zone of redlines, LOLs, and escape clauses that they could worsen rather than improve the current situation.

<edit> That said, it is really myopic of them and it does demonstrate a possibly disastrous lack of foresight.