“SAO PAULO (AP) — Seventeen oil company executives face probable criminal charges Wednesday for an oil leak in the Atlantic, a legal action that has prompted debate about whether it could slow Brazil’s effort to develop its massive offshore finds.
At least 110,000 gallons (416,000 liters) of oil seeped through cracks on the ocean floor near a Chevron Corp. appraisal well off the Rio de Janeiro coast in November. The well drilled byTransocean Ltd. has since been sealed, but a small amount of seepage reappeared in recent days, raising concern the damage is not yet over.
Paulo Alexandre Ferreira, a spokesman for the federal prosecutors’ office in Rio de Janeiro state, said the charges “most likely” will be put before courts on Wednesday. A judge will then decide if the executives will face trial, which would be a lengthy process given the number of defendants, the complexity of the case and the Brazilian legal system’s room for numerous appeals….”
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