BP actions before blowout were "reckless": Anadarko

HOUSTON/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Anadarko Petroleum Corp, part owner of the well gushing oil into the Gulf of Mexico, joined in the torrent of criticism of BP Plc as it seeks to escape the huge financial liability.

Anadarko said on Friday that BP's behavior before the blowout was "reckless" and likely represented "gross negligence or willful misconduct," which would affect the obligations of the well owners under their operating agreement.

BP, the well's operator and 65 percent owner, said it "strongly disagreed" with Anadarko's allegations, which cap a week in which some top oil executives sought to land the blame for the worst U.S. oil disaster at BP's door.

"The mounting evidence clearly demonstrates that this tragedy was preventable and the direct result of BP's reckless decisions and actions," Jim Hackett, chief executive of Anadarko, the well's 25 percent owner, said in a statement.

Hackett said his company was "shocked" by the information disclosed in investigations that showed BP "operated unsafely and failed to monitor and react to several critical warning signs" while drilling the well.

"Consistent with standard industry practice around the world, non-operating investors rely upon the operator to make the appropriate decisions on the rig," he added.

BP had said on Wednesday it expected its partners in the well, including Anadarko and 10 percent owner Mitsui & Co, to meet their legal obligations.

But Hackett said their agreement holds the British company responsible for any damages caused as a result of BP's "gross negligence or willful misconduct."

Shares of Anadarko, down 42 percent since the explosion that sank the Deepwater Horizon on April 20, rose 2.2 percent after-hours, but that gain was halved as Moody's cut its credit rating on Anadarko to "junk" status.

Moody's cited the uncertainty about the costs Anadarko will have to pay to cover liabilities related to the oil spill.

BP's embattled chief executive, Tony Hayward, said in a statement that Anadarko's allegations would not affect the company's focus on stopping the leak or alter its commitments to restoring the Gulf Coast.

"Other parties besides BP may be responsible for costs and liabilities arising from the oil spill, and we expect those parties to live up to their obligations," Hayward said.

Also in the statement on Friday, Houston-based Anadarko announced it would donate to charitable and civic agencies along the Gulf Coast any revenue it is entitled to receive from oil recovered from the clean-up efforts.

(Reporting by Braden Reddall in San Francisco and Kristen Hays in Houston; Editing by Richard Chang)