BP Is 'Big And Important': BP Chairman Strikes Out At Critics, CEO Scolds Photographer At Oil Spill Site (VIDEO)

Carl-Henric Svanberg, the chairman of BP, has struck out at critics of his company's response to the Gulf oil spill and told The Financial Times that BP is "big and important."

In an interview published Tuesday by FT, Svanberg painted the oil company's relationship with the U.S. as one that was mutually beneficial to both parties. "The US is a big and important market for BP, and BP is also a big and important company for the US, with its contribution to drilling and oil and gas production," Svanberg said. "So the position goes both ways."

Svanberg dismissed calls for a government takeover of the effort to plug the well and said that "if we do the right thing," BP's reputation may not suffer long-term damage.

The chairman's "big and important" assertions about his company came shortly after BP CEO Tony Hayward was recorded acting big and important around photographers covering the spill.

While observing a beach covered in crude, Hayward took it upon himself to scold a photographer whom he thought was too close to the spill.

"Hey, get outta there. Get outta there," Hayward barked to the photographer. "Get him out. Get him out."

Hayward's orders came just before a BP press conference.

WATCH: BP CEO yells at photographer

Comments

[catbite]

08:18 PM on 05/31/2010

Once, Tony Hayward was a geologist, but now he's just another annoying CEO. To say that the Gulf of Mexico is a "large ocean" irritates me because there is only one way out and that is to the east. This oil doesn't have many places to go except on shore where there is wildlife, people and lifestyles. If the oil drifts around the coast of Florida, I can only hope that the Gulf Stream gets a hold of it and takes it north and dumps the crud on Great Britain.

[bryanphoto]

04:08 AM on 05/29/2010

This is the BS journalism that is making this country stupid. The people, where the camera man was going were in hasmat(?) suits for a reason.

[johnkilmy]

04:41 PM on 05/27/2010

BP needs to be eradicated and all of their assets sold and divided up by the sufferers of the leak.

Also check out http://www.k2incenseblend.com

[kenzor]

08:26 AM on 05/27/2010

I'm hardly a fan of BP, but to say that Haywood "barked" at the photographer is an exaggeration.

[IMSickOfAllOfEm]

07:15 AM on 05/27/2010

Send your comments about this crisis directly to the White House.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

[Claire Rebecca]

02:55 AM on 05/27/2010

Oh vomit

[collettethehedgehog]

02:02 AM on 05/27/2010

BP as a corporation can be nailed in British courts for murder. And America has the death penalty and a history of jailing Brit execs much to the horror of that class. Jindal wants to do something for La. - nail them.

[GaryCharles]

12:13 PM on 05/27/2010

Yet the Oil Judges of TX will see they all walk free.

[Neil Plascencia]

10:07 PM on 05/26/2010

If I shorted Gulf stocks the day before this platform explosion and bought a company that puts out oil well fires the week before, I'd have the FBI at my door within hours.

Cheney's Halliburton bought a company called Boots & Coots which became well known for putting out some of the world's largest oil and gas fires. 8 days before the disaster http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/6952547.html

Goldman Sachs shorted the Gulf Oil stocks the day before the accident http://www.examiner.com/x-8199-Breakthrough-Energy-Examiner~y2010m5d5-No-joke-Goldman-Sachs-shorted-Gulf-of-Mexico

http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=49746450

Cementing of the oil rig well was finished only 20 hours before the explosion http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126536457

BP sent workers from the well head testing company home 11 hours before the explosion on April 20 -- "without performing a final check http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/20/bp-smoking-gun-oil-giant_n_583590.html”

A team from Schlumberger, which is highly regarded for their safety, asks a BP company man to use the Cement Bond Log (CBL) to dump fluid down the well and BP's company man refused. Schlumberger rep decides to leave citing safety issues but only if they called in their own transport as BP rep would not let Schlumberger leave on a BP Chopper.
http://adropofrain.net/2010/05/rumor-schlumberger-exits-deep-horizon-hours-before-blowout/

[ccurtis]

11:39 PM on 05/26/2010

Oh I really do hope the fishermen and women of the Gulf Coast stage a huge mutiny and just take everything they can from BP. Equipment, reclaimed oil, take over the refineries...they have every right at this point. This is just more evidence of that.

[SirSlappy]

09:23 PM on 05/26/2010

Corporate Terrorism!

[ricehq]

07:25 PM on 05/26/2010

BP, its' subsidiaries, Haliburton, Transocean, their financiers and insurers should have their assets seized and used to cleanup this mess. It would be the corporate form of capital punishment.

[Left on Red]

05:16 PM on 05/26/2010

Svanberg should keep repeating to himself....big and important.

Keep repeating as he goes on trial for the death of his 11 employees.
Keep repeating as the jury pronounces "Guilty" for each of the murders.
Keep repeating as the judge pronounces sentence on him.
Keep repeating as he is hauled off to jail.
Keep repeating during all the civil trials for damages to the families of the 11 lost.
Keep repeating during all the civil trials for the damages to the economy, the environment, the livelihoods of millions of hard working Americans.

Keep repeating the phrase "big and important" May these words haunt you to the day you leave this earth.

[SirSlappy]

09:24 PM on 05/26/2010

That would take a spine which at this point Obama clearly does not possess.

[GaryCharles]

12:08 PM on 05/27/2010

Really? I got it SirSlappy knows all! I have a prediction for you, you will look like a total fool this afternoon, by 2pm.

[had-enough]

04:51 PM on 05/26/2010

What to do with Tony Hayward? Deport that rude pratt jobless back to dreary England. OR...Make him swim with the dead dolphin and dead turtles and dead sharks...if only there were a live shark it would be film worthy!

[holyghostie]

02:40 PM on 05/26/2010

http://www.wkrg.com/gulf_oil_spill/article/oil-spill-expert-has-plan-for-clean-up-but-will-anyone-listen/887917/May-18-2010_5-47-pm/

Why is the Coast Guard,and BP ignoring this man? Answer....because dispersing the oil means that they can limit the photos of BLACK TAR beaches. It'll take years to realize the chems in the food chain from the dispersant are killing people.

[babyboomerorig]

01:32 PM on 05/26/2010

"Big and important"

So, in his eyes he doesn't have to clean up his mess?

Wonder how many parents allow their children not to clean up their messes.....how many wives make their husband's clean their own mess.....how many CEO's make employees clean up their own mess....bet none of them do.

[JoeBlough]

02:46 PM on 05/26/2010

Cheney had the same attitude.

[had-enough]

05:06 PM on 05/26/2010

Plug the hole with Bush & Cheney & Tony Hayward OH.....and Svengard Mr. Big Shot!

[had-enough]

04:53 PM on 05/26/2010

The British Punks have always thought they were over important yet they are the sizeof the state of Oregon! Just pompous a@@es quite full of themselves and anti-American. We are beneath them. At least America is not run by BABY HUEY!

[sailor422]

01:24 PM on 05/26/2010

Boycott BP stations

[had-enough]

04:55 PM on 05/26/2010

BOYCOTT those British Punks! Google gas station supplies. Ask OBAMA to pull drilling permits and shut down BP refineries! Make them pay Louisiana BIG TIME and get them OUT of America! They are corrupt!