Anadarko Petroleum Corporation and Anadarko E&P Company, L.P. v. Houston Casualty Company

The Deepwater Horizon drilling-rig incident has been called "the largest accidental marine oil spill in U.S. history." 1 After the initial blow-out and explosions claimed eleven lives, the waves of escaping oil "began a human, economic, and environmental disaster" 2 that "touched virtually every aspect of life on the Gulf of Mexico coast-and far beyond." 3 Predictably, the lingering ripples include legal disputes over the responsible parties' liabilities and the extent to which insurance covers their losses.

A few years ago, we addressed issues affecting insurance covering the BP entities that…