News Summary: BP posts Q2 loss

Published July 31, 2012 6:53pm ET



LOSING BIG: BP reported a loss of $1.4 billion for the second quarter due to lower OIL prices and production and as it wrote down the value of some assets.

SLIPPERY SLOPE: The loss was bigger than analysts’ consensus forecast and compared with a profit of $5.7 billion a year earlier. The company also made an additional provision of $847 million for the Gulf of Mexico oil rig disaster and cleanup.

CAPPING THE SPILL: BP expects to make the final payment into the planned $20 billion Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Trust by the end of this year.