(Repeat for additional subscribers) July 7 (Reuters) - (The following statement was released by the rating agency) Fitch Ratings has affirmed BP plc's (BP) Long-term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at 'A'. The Outlook is Stable. A full list of rating actions is at the end of this commentary. BP is a leading global integrated oil and gas producer, and we view its operational profile as commensurate with the 'AA' category. Presently, BP's rating direction depends largely on the outcome of legal proceedings related to the 2010 Macondo oil spill. At end-1Q14, BP had provisioned USD42.7bn in total for claims and other related payments, of which it had paid out USD34.9bn. We estimate that total payments below USD70bn, including amounts already paid out and the balance paid over a period of several years, are likely to keep BP in the 'A' rating category, while payments exceeding this amount may push the company's ratings into the 'BBB' category.