US giant admits destroying data

Halliburton, the US energy services giant, has admitted destroying evidence relating to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico, the worst such disaster in American history.
A Justice Department statement released late Thursday said the company had agreed to plead guilty to criminal conduct that occurred when it was carrying out its own post-accident investigation.
Eleven people died and 4.9 million barrels of oil gushed into the Gulf over a three-month period after the explosion, with BP -- who leased Deepwater Horizon -- ending up paying billions of dollars in compensation and cleanup costs.
Halliburton Energy Services, BP's contractor, had been accused by the British oil giant of destroying evidence. BP has also asked Halliburton to pay damages stemming from the April 2010 accident off the coast of Louisiana.
The disaster wreaked havoc on the Gulf region's environment and economy.