No decision on Hayward, BP says

LONDON, July 26 (UPI) -- British oil company BP said Monday there were no final decisions made regarding the tenure of embattled Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward.

BP is struggling to repair its reputation following the Deepwater Horizon accident in the Gulf of Mexico, which has turned into the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

Hayward has largely turned day-to-day management of the Deepwater Horizon disaster over

to his deputies. Hayward, a report in the Financial Times says, is not, however, expected to make it through a shareholder meeting Tuesday with his job intact.

The report refers to people "close to the company" who say investors have lost confidence in Hayward's ability to lead in the wake of the April disaster in the gulf.

Robert Dudley, who moved to BP after a dust-up during his tenure at the helm of Anglo-Russian venture TNK-BP, is the "obvious" candidate to replace Hayward, the report adds.

Dudley has taken over the response in the Gulf of Mexico.

BP in a statement Monday, however, said it wasn't speculating regarding the makeup of its board of directors.

"BP confirms that no final decision has been made on these matters," the statement read. Any decision, the company said, would be announced Tuesday "as appropriate."