By Steven Ruiz Anadarko ( APC ) is one of the world's largest independent oil and gas production and exploration companies with 2.3 billion barrels of proven reserves. In this article, I will illustrate how Anadarko has fared against the competition in the same sector and what the future holds and where Anadarko is headed. Anadarko had a 25% stake in the oil site where the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill occurred in what would become the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Anadarko settled the legal issues related to the spill with British Petroleum ( BP ) in October 2011. The settlement cost Anadarko $4 billion and the 25% stake in the oil at the spill site. There were estimates of the spill cost to Anadarko being as high as $12.5 billion, so this settlement made sense economically. The biggest positive side to the settlement for Anadarko is that it would not be liable for any future claims, and it could put the disaster behind it.