BP close to settlement over Gulf spill criminal claims The statement follows a report by Reuters, citing three sources, that the oil giant is expected to plead guilty to criminal misconduct in the disaster in exchange for a waiver of future prosecution on the charges. BP has been negotiations with the US government and Gulf Coast states for months to settle billions of dollars of civil and criminal liability claims resulting from the April 20, 2010, explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon rig. The company said on Thursday that the proposed settlement was not expected to cover federal civil claims, including those relating to the Clean Water Act, private civil claims or state economic loss claims. It is unclear what form of criminal misconduct BP might plead guilty to. In an August filing, the Department of Justice said "reckless management" of the Macondo well "constituted gross negligence and wilful misconduct," which it intended to prove at a pending civil trial set to begin in New Orleans in February 2013. It is also unclear whether the deal will resolve any civil charges brought by the Justice Department, and how large a financial penalty BP might pay to resolve them. BP has previously adamantly denied any suggestion that it was grossly negligent in the disaster, a charge that could trigger billions of dollars in penalties under the Clean Water Act.