BPhas agreed to a $4.5bn settlement to resolve criminal charges relating to the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster, but the UK group still faces civil claims from the US government.

The company pleaded guilty to 14 criminal charges brought by the Department of Justice, 11 of which were counts of manslaughter. As part of the $4bn settlement relating to those charges, BP is paying a fine of $1.256bn, the largest financial penalty ever imposed by US authorities. It is also paying a further $525m for civil fraud charges brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the financial regulator.

Bob Dudley, BP’s chief executive, said: “We apologise for our role in the accident, and as today’s resolution with the US government further reflects, we have accepted responsibility for our actions.”