BP is asked for advance notice of dealings by US

[dipsydoodle]

Source: BBC News

The US government has asked BP to tell it of any major asset sales or merger deals in advance, as it continues to keep a close eye on the oil giant.

The highly unusual request came in a letter from the US Department of Justice dated 23 June.

BP told the BBC it had yet to respond to the letter.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/10535023.stm

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Associated news : (Reuters) - BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward has met with representatives of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), one of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds, a UAE official source said on Wednesday.

The oil major, grappling with a devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, is looking for investors to help fend off any potential takeover attempts, a UAE source said on Tuesday.

http://www.recentnews.co.uk/news2.php?id=514027

Its more likely Petrochina which the USA is concerned about.

[cornermouse]

1. The two sentences that tell the whole story.

"The highly unusual request came in a letter from the US Department of Justice dated 23 June.

BP told the BBC it had yet to respond to the letter."

I think the letter is going to be like the order to stop using coerexit. They'll ignore it, a few days from now we'll apologize for sending the letter, nothing will change.

For some reason I feel extremely cynical and pessimistic when it comes to BP and the Gulf.

[SkyDaddy7]

2. I can hear the Right Wing now...

"Obama is trying to take over a private business and tell them what they can & cannot do!"

GO OBAMA!

[No Elephants]

3. Slap a frickin' lien on all the assets directly or indirectly controlled by BP, wherever located.

[dipsydoodle]

4. Can't be done

.

[The Stranger]

5. If they're fraudulent transfers, it can be done.

[dipsydoodle]

6. That could only affect

sale of assets and they're hardly likely to accept less than the best price. The actual interest of the USA lies in who the buyers are but Obama can really only influence those assets inside the USA.

[The Stranger]

9. Right, assets sales. That's what Obama's request for notice is about.

But actually any transfer can be fraudulent, even parts of a merger, if it meets the other criteria.

[AlbertCat]

7. Did they ask real nice?... with a "Pleeeeease, pretty please?"

[dipsydoodle]

8. At present it don't really matter how they asked.

BP have ignored the request for the time being by not replying.

I suppose if Obama is really lucky BP won't pull a rope-a-dope by doing a deal with SWF's with payment in petrodollars for use in the escrow a/c. If they did that the US would have to buy back its own fiat money to make practical use of the funds.