BP faces $13.7bn penalty for oil spill

The latest phase of a US trial to decide how much BP should pay in penalties for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill has ended.

The amount BP could face in Clean Water Act penalties could reach $13.7bn (€12bn), but a decision from the judge is not expected for months.

The New Orleans trial closed after two weeks of testimony and arguments by lawyers for the US justice department, which wants a high penalty, and BP, which wants a lower figure. Lawyers may file briefs in the case as late as April and it remains unclear how soon afterwards that District Judge Carl Barbier will rule.