BP is being sued by the US Government over the spillage of more than 200,000 gallons of crude oil on the Alaskan arctic tundra in 2006.

The US Department of Justice's action against the British oil major is set to re-open old wounds.

The Alaskan spills followed the scandal of a fatal Texan oil refinery explosion in an annus horribilis for the company which culminated in the resignation of BP's then chief executive Lord Browne in a gay lover perjury court case.

The Justice Department is alleging the oil spill on the Alaskan North Slope was illegal as BP Alaska had failed to implement spill prevention and control plans in accordance with industry best practice. It is further alleged that BP Alaska failed to properly maintain, test, inspect and repair its pipelines in Prudhoe Bay.

The charges follow a damning Congressional report into the incidents which accused BP of negligence through cost-cutting.

The report from the House of Representatives' Energy Committee concluded “severe pressure for cost cutting did have an impact on maintenance of pipelines”.

That view was echoed by Carolyn Merritt of the US Chemical Safety Board who had been involved in the investigation of the explosion at the Texas City refinery which killed 15 people, injured 170 and for which the oil giant was fined $50 million (£34.8 million).

Merritt told the Congressional probe there were “striking similarities” between the Texas City and Alaskan incidents.

Merritt testified: “Most, if not all, of the seven root causes BP consultants identified for the Prudhoe Bay incident have strong echoes in Texas City.”

BP has already paid $20 million in fines relating to the Alaskan spills.

A BP Alaska spokesman said: “We have taken significant steps to ensure that our operations are safe and reliable and protect the environment.

“Those include building a new $500 million system of oil transit lines at Prudhoe Bay.”