A recent report indicated that it might take some more time before BP can actually start bidding for new federal contracts in the US. There has been a lot of chaos since the Gulf of Mexico disaster in 2010, which pushed the US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to impose ban on the British oil major to bid for new contracts in the US.

The agency alleges that BP's "lack of business integrity" pushed the environmental disaster in 2010, which claimed the life of some 11 men aboard the rig and it would take some more time before the ban is uplifted for both supply contracts and oil exploration licences in the US market.

The company would have to prove that it will meet federal business standards before it expects some sort of relaxation after meeting huge loss after the fiasco.

"BP's saying there is some kind of administrative agreement to lift the suspension in the short term is not technically accurate", said a source close to the US government. "They have some work to do". While suspensions don't last more than 18 months, it would be worth seeing what all the company would have to do to reach a common resolution in near future.