BP has reached a settlement over claims from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The oil company said it expects to pay $7.8 bn to claimants, in one of the biggest class-action settlements in US history.

Some of the fishermen affected by the spill will be able to claim more than nine times their losses under the terms of the deal. BP has also agreed to allow up to $600m in fees for the plaintiffs’ lawyers, in addition to payments made in the settlement.

The oil company has asked a US judge for a delay before settling the rest of the claims, due to "markedly different opinions" over the strength of the remaining cases.

The remaining potential claimants include the U.S. government; Gulf states; and drilling partners Transocean Ltd, who have demanded tens of billions of dollars.

According to papers filed on Wednesday with the New Orleans ferderal court, the case may drag on for a further ten years.