Judge Carl Barbier has just turned down a second request from the oil giant to suspend compensation payments. The judge said he could see no 'credible evidence' of the fraud on compensation claims which BP had pointed to. BP now expects compensation payments to come in at well over the US$9.6 billion it has provided for on the leak at Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico.

Now 'reviewing its options', according to the Financial Times, BP says it will continue to highlight 'any evidence of fraud or improprieties that surface and could potentially taint the settlement process or lead to the payment of undeserving claimants'.  Bob Dudley, BP's chief executive, said in July that the company was preparing for 'extended litigation' and was 'well-prepared for the long haul on legal matters'.