Transocean’s Agreement With Justice Department Over The Gulf Oil Spill Approved

U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier ruled today that he is giving approval to Transocean's one billion dollar civil settlement with U.S. Justice Department over their role in the April 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that took eleven lives and led to an environmental disaster.

Judge Barbier said in his ruling that he found "no just reason for delay" in giving his approval for the civil settlement.

Transocean is the company that owned the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig.  The rig exploded and then sank over British Petroleum's Macondo well in 2010.

Last week, another judge gave approval to Transocean's criminal settlement with the federal government. The company pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge.  They will be paying $400 million in criminal penalties.