Report: BP closing in on Deepwater Horizon deal with U.S. government WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 (UPI) -- Oil company BP said it was nearing an agreement with the U.S. government that would resolve criminal claims arising from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Britain-based BP stressed Thursday no agreement has been finalized, but negotiations with the U.S. Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission were "advanced," CNNMoney reported. Any settlement would undergo federal judicial review, and would not affect any civil claims made against BP for the Deepwater Horizon disaster. BP still would face a potential fine for environmental damages in the gulf. Several media outlets have reported BP has agreed to admit guilt and pay a fine that reportedly would be the largest criminal penalty in U.S. history, CNNMoney said. In April 2010, an explosion on BP's Deepwater Horizon rig killed 11 workers and dumped millions of barrels of oil into the gulf, causing extensive environmental damage to the region before the well was capped three months later. BP's embattled chief executive officer, Tony Hayward, was forced to resign and BP shares plummeted. BP already reached a $7.8 billion settlement with private-sector victims. While criminal charges haven't been filed yet, a civil trial in New Orleans has been delayed until February 2013. In September, the Justice Department accused BP of gross negligence in a federal court filing, a finding that would expand the company's liability. Transocean, the owner-operator of the rig, also has unresolved liability issues. In its September filing, the Justice Department said Transocean also was guilty of gross negligence.