BP wants your trust, Dudley tells U.S.

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CHICAGO, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- BP aims to win back the trust of the public as it looks to return to the Gulf of Mexico and expand its U.S. footprint, the company's top executive said.

BP filed a lawsuit in Louisiana against oil-services contractor Halliburton over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. A cement barrier at the wellhead failed, causing an explosion that killed 11 workers and led to the worst accidental oil spill in U.S. history.

BP Chief Executive Officer Bob Dudley told investors in Chicago that BP had to earn back the trust of the American people as it aims to expand its footprint in the country.

Dudley said BP's work in the Midwest, largely at its Whiting oil refinery in Indiana, was a sign of the company's commitment to the U.S. economy. As BP looks to return to the Gulf of Mexico and work elsewhere in the United States, the "key element" of its business plan must be trust, he said.

"If we stay on course, I am confident we can deliver a safer, stronger BP, and regain the trust of the country where are our roots are deepest and I believe our future is brightest," he said.

The BP lawsuit against Halliburton is due in federal court in New Orleans next month.