A trial to apportion blame and damages for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster will now start in 2013 after the New Orleans judge hearing the case scheduled a new start date.

The delay is a boost for BP PLC (BP), which is facing billions of dollars in fines from the U.S. government for its part in the incident. Federal and state authorities had pressed for a summer trial, arguing that damages payments from the responsible parties was needed to speed up Gulf Coast restoration efforts.

The U.K. energy giant now has more time in which to try and reach a settlement with other litigants, including the U.S. Justice Department and its former contractors on the doomed Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, which exploded in April 2010, killing 11 and unleashing the worst marine spill in U.S. history.

U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier Thursday assigned a trial date of Jan. 14, 2013 , more than 10 months after it was supposed to begin.

Barbier halted the civil trial, due to begin at the end of February, to allow BP more time to complete settlement negotiations with thousands of individuals and businesses hurt by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

BP has since agreed a $7.8 billion settlement deal with lawyers representing these plaintiffs. Judge Barbier will make a final decision on whether to ratify the settlement Nov. 8, although he has already given a preliminary ruling okaying the deal.

However, the U.K. energy giant still faces actions from U.S. federal, state and local governments. Potential civil penalties, which are based on the amount of oil spilled but increased by any finding of negligence, could top an additional $20 billion. That amount also would be subject to reduction through a settlement.

The company is also locked in litigation with Transocean Ltd. (RIG), the owner of the ill-fated Deepwater Horizon rig; cement contractor Halliburton Co. (HAL), or blowout preventer-manufacturer Cameron International Corp. (CAM). BP has filed cross-claims with those companies alleging they are partially culpable for the accident--allegations those companies have denied.

BP has recorded a $37.2 billion charge for what the U.K. company estimates will be its maximum spill-related costs. It has said the March settlement doesn't change the figure.

The company said it has spent about $22.1 billion on the disaster, including about $8.1 billion paid to individuals, businesses and governments and about $14 billion to stop the leak and clean up the spill. The figure excludes March's settlement but includes $6.5 billion in damage claims BP agreed to pay through an out-of-court settlement system.

BP shares traded lower Friday morning. At 1012 GMT, the stock was down 6 pence, or 1.4%, at 429p, underperforming the broader FTSE 100 index, which was off 0.8%. The Stoxx 600 UK Oil & Gas index, meanwhile, was also down 0.8% at the same time, tracking crude futures lower.

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