BP (NYSE:BP) Sells Gulf Assets to Japan's Marubeni

BP (NYSE:BP) to divest of non-core assets to raise capital to pay for its mounting liabilities from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

This time the oil giant has sold four fields in deepwater areas in the Gulf of Mexico to Marubeni of Japan, for $650 million. This will bring the total amount raised through selling of assets to over $12 billion. BP wants to raise about $30 billion overall to cover itself for existing and potential liabilities.

The specific fields sold are the Merganser, Magnolia, Nansen and Zia fields, which combined produce about 15,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day of oil and gas.

Evidently, BP would have sold these assets whether or not they oil spill happened: "When BP acquired Devon's Gulf of Mexico assets it was clear that these four fields did not fit well with the rest of our business in the region," said Andy Hopwood, vice president for Strategy and Integration.

The deal is expected to close in the early part of 2011.