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Former Secretary of State James A. Baker III to Chair Independent Safety Review Panel

Houston October 24, 2005 - BP today announced that former U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker, III of Houston has agreed to chair an independent panel to review and make recommendations for improvement of safety management systems and corporate safety culture at BP Products North America, Inc., the subsidiary responsible for the company's U.S. refining operations.

"I deeply appreciate Secretary Baker's willingness to lead the panel and the willingness of the other panel members to accept this important assignment. The panel will have BP's full support and cooperation. We are determined to do everything possible to prevent a tragedy like this from ever happening again by ensuring that safety practices at our operations are effective and comprehensive. This inquiry is a vital part of that effort," said BP chief executive John Browne.

Secretary Baker said: "My goal in chairing the Safety Review Panel is to make sure that it returns with a thorough, independent, and credible report. We will determine if the corporate culture at BP Products North America is properly focused on preventing tragic accidents like the one that occurred in Texas City or if improvements are required. This review will meet the recommendations of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board and we will let the chips fall where they may. That is exactly what I told BP when it contacted me about chairing this panel, and the company said it expects no less."

The independent panel is being formed in response to a recommendation received August 17 from the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) which is investigating a series of explosions and significant hydrocarbon releases at the BP Products North America, Inc. refinery in Texas City. A March 23, 2005 explosion and fire at the Texas City refinery claimed the lives of 15 workers and injured over 170 more.

BP has been notified by the CSB that its plans for the panel, when fully implemented will satisfy the objective of the board's recommendation.

The panel will not duplicate the efforts of the CSB to determine the specific root causes of the March 23 incident, but it will instead conduct a review of safety management and culture. The independent panel has been asked to complete its work within one year and will make public its findings and recommendations.

The members of the panel are:

• Secretary James A. Baker, III served as Secretary of State (1989-92), Secretary of the Treasury (1985-88), and White House Chief of Staff (1981-85 and 1992-93). From 1997 to 2004, Secretary Baker served as the personal envoy to the United Nations Secretary-General in seeking a political solution to the conflict over Western Sahara. In 2003, he was appointed Special Presidential Envoy on the issue of Iraqi debt. Secretary Baker is currently a senior partner at Baker Botts LLP.
• Retired Admiral Skip Bowman, former Director of Naval Nuclear Propulsion, is president of the Nuclear Energy Institute. Admiral Bowman was responsible for the operation of more than 100 nuclear reactors aboard Navy aircraft carriers and submarines and for U.S. Navy nuclear training and research facilities.
• Senator Slade Gorton is a former United States Senator and member of the 9/11 Commission. Senator Gorton served in the United States Air Force and Air Force Reserves, as Attorney General of Washington State, and as a member of the National Commission on Federal Election Reform. He is of counsel at Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds LLP.
• Mr. Dennis Hendershot is a chemical engineer who has more than 30 years of experience in chemical process research and development, plant design and operation, and process safety. He chairs the Inherently Safer Process Subcommittee of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Center for Process Safety.
• Dr. Nancy Leveson is Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Professor of Engineering Systems at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Dr. Leveson's research focuses on accident investigation and modeling, addressing both the social and the technical factors that cause accidents.
• Ms. Sharon Priest is the first woman elected as Arkansas Secretary of State and former president of the National Association for Secretaries of State. She is the executive director of the Downtown Partnership; a non-profit organization devoted to developing downtown Little Rock, Arkansas. She serves on the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Little Rock Branch, and served as a member of the National Commission on Federal Election Reform.
• Dr. Isadore "Irv" Rosenthal is a former board member of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board and a senior research fellow at the Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center where he is conducting research on low probability - high consequence chemical process accidents.
• Dr. Paul V. Tebo is a retired Dupont vice president who led the company's global petrochemical business and also oversaw the company's highly respected safety program, considered by many to be the industry "gold standard."
• Dr. Douglas Wiegmann is a senior associate consultant and clinical research scholar within the Division of Cardiovascular Surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He is an expert in the field of human factor analysis in accident investigations and is a former investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board.
• Mr. Duane Wilson is retired vice president, Refining, Marketing, Supply & Transportation-Fuels Technology for ConocoPhillips. He currently serves on the University of Tulsa Board of Trustees.

BP will also appoint a member of the United Steel, Paper, Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers Union (USW) to the panel.

Port of San Antonio Created at Military Base Scuttled by BRACC

San Antonio October 24, 2005 - An agreement to facilitate increased international cargo trade between the United States and Mexico was signed by Mexico's Secretary of Communications and Transportation, D. Aaron Dychter, Assistant Secretary of Transportation and officials representing the Port of San Antonio.

The signing ceremony took place at the Plaza San Antonio Hotel courtyard, the site of another international trade milestone, the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) more than 10 years ago.

With representatives of more than 30 Mexico businesses, federal and state agencies in attendance, the letter of intent establishes the mechanisms for moving air, rail and ground cargo principally from Asia and South America through Mexico and into the U.S. through KellyUSA, a multimodal port and industrial park created on the site of the former Kelly Air Force Base, which was closed in the first round of Base Realignment and Closure Commission in 2001.

"What we are saying today with this agreement is that we are joining forces with Mexico to develop multimodal corridors that will be mutually beneficial to each partner," said Greater Kelly Development Authority CEO Bruce Miller. "We're establishing synergies, origin and destination systems, facilitating access to international markets and creating new pathways for producers, importers and exporters to access the global market. All of which means economic gains for everyone involved."

Because of its land, sea and air connectivity, Mexico's transportation system provides a crucial link to the principal commercial trade blocks of the world. The Mexico/KellyUSA agreement will facilitate coordination of the various authorities and agents involved throughout distribution and supply chains and will play a fundamental role in the increase of interior and exterior trade competitiveness.

"We understand that we have the most dynamic border in the world and that border crossings through Texas are precisely the ones that account for more than 70% of the over land commercial exchange between the United States and Mexico," said Dr. Aaron Dychter.

Within 30 days following the signing of the document, a representative will be named to create a work schedule for implementation of objectives outlined in the letter of intent and to begin making necessary arrangements for coordinating and facilitating the shipping of merchandise between NAFTA corridor regions.

Iridium Announces Crew Calling Discounts for Holiday Season

Bethesda MD October 24, 2005 - Calling home for the holidays while at sea is easier and more affordable than ever, thanks to Iridium’s Crew Calling service and Family First discount plan.

Iridium’s Family First plan provides a 35 percent discount on crew calls placed with prepaid scratch cards on major holidays, as well as the first day of each month and weekends. For this year’s holiday season, the Family First discounts will apply on Dipawali (Nov. 1), Eid al Fitr (Nov. 4), Christmas (Dec. 25) and New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31).

Using convenient prepaid scratch cards, the Crew Calling service provides a cost-effective and easy-to-administer resource for ship-to-shore satellite calling. Crew members’ calls are priced at a single flat rate per minute, regardless of the time of day or location. The personal calls are automatically separated from calls made for ship’s business, eliminating the administrative burden of manually accounting for crew calls. The discounts are applied automatically and are in effect for 24 hours based on GMT, regardless of the location of call origin or termination.

"We know how important it is for crew members at sea to reach friends and family, especially during the holidays," said Don Thoma, executive vice president of Iridium Satellite. "Our Crew Calling service and Family First discount plan make it convenient and affordable to stay in touch."

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