LONDON – BP PLC said Monday that "no final decision" has been made about management changes, which reportedly include the departure of Tony Hayward as chief executive in an effort to mend the company's image after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.The oil company said its board would meet Monday evening, a day before it announces earnings for the second quarter.
"BP notes the press speculation over the weekend regarding potential changes to management and the charge for the costs of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. BP confirms that no final decision has been made on these matters," the company said in a statement to the London Stock Exchange.
Shares were up 2.2 percent at 407.6 pence ($6.31) in early trading in London.
British media reported over the weekend that Hayward was negotiating the terms of his departure ahead of its second quarter results announcement on Tuesday. A U.S. government official also said on condition of anonymity that Hayward is on his way out as CEO.
However, the Financial Times reported Monday that he was likely to stay on for two more months while BP continues work on drilling relief wells, seen as the permanent solution to the leak.
The BP board would have to approve a change in company leadership.
Citing unidentified sources, the BBC and Britain's Sunday Telegraph said detailed talks regarding Hayward's future had taken place over the weekend.
Hayward, 53, had become a lightning rod for outrage in the United States about the spill which started on April 20 with an explosion and fire on the Deepwater Horizon rig. Eleven workers died in the disaster.
Hayward had assumed a high-profile role as the face of BP in responding to the spill. His comment that he was eager to resolve the incident "so that I can have my life back" antagonized his critics in the United States.
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