BP 'knew of Texas risk'

Board directors of oil giant BP knew about the link between spending cuts and poor maintenance at its Texas City oil refinery a year and a half before the fatal accident which killed 15 workers, it was reported today.

An internal presentation to John Manzoni, chief executive for refining and marketing, in November 2003 linked a ’history of reduced investment’ with ’poor maintenance practices’ at the Texas refinery before the explosion in March 2005, the Observer newspaper said.