...a series of safety, environmental and ethical setbacks at BP’s US operations have tested the validity of Lord Browne’s message that BP puts safety first and profits second. After that blast at Texas City, as well as a large oil spill at Alaska’s pipelines, the near-sinking of BP’s Thunderhorse platform in the Gulf of Mexico and a recent propane trading scandal, investors want to know if the breakdowns are un­connected or if, instead, US operations at the world’s second largest listed energy group are fundamentally flawed. The job of finding the answer has fallen to 54-year-old Mr Malone [who was] Promoted three weeks ago to chairman and president of BP America...