For example, he said staff of BP's new Safety and Operational Risk organisation, set up by Mr Hayward's successor Bob Dudley in 2011, now had the authority to order that an operation be stopped, when the previous safety body had more of an advisory role.

CNN: BP claims it now leads the way on safety

Chief executive Tony Hayward, the man who wanted his life back, is gone, replaced by Bob Dudley, an American raised in the Gulf state of Mississippi.

BBC: Frustration mounts on US Gulf Coast over drilling halt

Tuesday's report also confirmed that board director Bob Dudley , who has been leading the company's response in the Gulf, will be replacing Tony Hayward as the company's president and CEO, effective Oct. 1.

FORBES: Earnings Season