BP cries foul at 'fictitious' spill claims

(REUTERS) - BP launched its promised appeal against what it called "fictitious" and "absurd" payouts to some oil spill compensation claimants on Friday and asked a judge to temporarily halt those paid out as business economic losses.

In a filing in a federal court in New Orleans, BP said it could be "irreparably harmed" by the payouts without relief from the court, because they could cost it billions more than it had budgeted for when it agreed to a settlement in April 2012.

BP was appealing a March 5 ruling that upheld the way the compensation is being paid to business claimants wanting recompense for losses caused by the 2010 spill, which killed 11 men and spewed 4 million barrels of oil into the sea. The ruling overrode objections from BP, which has been finding the payments much more generous than it had accounted for.

The ruling, by the same court where BP and other companies have been on trial for separate civil charges stemming from the spill since February, has reopened a part of the saga that appeared to have been settled almost a year ago.