BP Plc's Atlantis facility, its second-largest oil producer inthe Gulf of Mexico, remains unsafe and is operating under permitsBP obtained by lying to regulators, a whistleblower said in courtfilings.

“Immediate court action is needed to remedy unsafe conditions onAtlantis,” Mikal Watts, an attorney for former BP contractorKenneth Abbott, said in papers filed yesterday seeking a trial datein federal court in Houston, where the case has been pending since2009.

“BP has falsely certified compliance with critical environmentaland safety regulations” to pump billions of dollars in petroleumfrom the offshore facility, the lawyer said. “BP's corporate policyand practice is to buy its way out after it is caught and then doit again.”

Abbott sued London-based BP in 2009 on behalf of the U.S.government, seeking to get a judge to shut down Atlantis, whichproduces about 120,000 barrels of oil daily, according to courtrecords. Abbott said the judge should appoint a special master tooversee measures to bring the offshore facility into compliancewith safety and environmental laws.

He also seeks $7.8 billion from BP, which he estimated in courtpapers is the value of oil and gas the company has pumped throughAtlantis since it came online in 2007.

BP said in its own court filings that Atlantis is safe and thatAbbott's complaints were dismissed by federal regulators whoinvestigated the issue after the April 2010 blowout of BP's Macondowell drilled by the Deepwater Horizon. The Atlantis productionplatform is located about 100 miles (161 kilometers) south of wherethe Deepwater Horizon drilling rig disaster occurred.

“We fundamentally disagree with plaintiffs' claims in thislawsuit,” Daren Beaudo, a BP spokesman, said yesterday in an e-mail. “The Department of Interior conducted a thoroughinvestigation of Mr. Abbott's lawsuit allegations and concludedthat Mr. Abbott's allegations are unfounded and the Atlantisplatform is safe and should continue to be operated by BP.”

Lawyers for BP and Abbott will meet before U.S. District JudgeLynn Hughes on March 19. Abbott's lawyers said they will seek animmediate hearing on safety issues.

The case is United States of America Ex Rel. Abbott v. BPExploration and Production Inc., 4:09-cv-01193, U.S. DistrictCourt, Southern District of Texas (Houston).