Report: BP, U.S. agency both share blame

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- A breakdown in BP's management system and a failure to consider risks contributed to the rig explosion that spewed oil into the Gulf of Mexico, a report said.

The report by scientific experts, commissioned by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, while critical of BP, didn't find a single thing that led to the disaster, blaming both BP and the federal Minerals Management Services for miscues, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

Before the explosion in which 11 workers died, crew members expressed concern about who was in charge, pointing to a "lack of on-board expertise and of clearly defined responsibilities" for costly decisions, the report said.

The panel also found key staff members on the rig lacked proper training and cited BP for not recognizing red flags before the explosion, the Times said.

The Minerals Management Service, the oversight agency dismantled after the accident and replaced by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, also was blamed in the report. The committee found the agency failed to institute oversight that could have helped prevent the blast and procedures that could have saved lives.

"Available evidence suggests there were insufficient checks and balances for decisions," the report said.

The final report is expected in June.