"Federal Judge Rejects BP's Attempt To Block Oil Spill Claim Payments"

"A federal judge on Friday rejected BP's attempt to block the Deepwater Horizon claims administrator from awarding what it said could be billions of dollars in payments for 'business economic losses' that the British oil giant contends are based on 'fictitious' claims of damage.

U.S. District Court Judge Carl Barbier, who also is overseeing the sprawling BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill trial, seemed unlikely from the onset of the hour-long hearing to issue the temporary injunction that BP sought as part of the class action suit.

BP on Friday immediately challenged Barbier's ruling in the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals."

Richard Thompson reports for the New Orleans Times-Picayune April 5, 2013.

SEE ALSO:

"BP Payouts Are Upheld; An Appeal Is Likely" (Reuters)