Some Lloyd's of London underwriters and Arch Insurance Companyare asking a federal court to require BP and Transocean to settletheir dispute over claims submitted to the insurers.

The insurers say in an interpleader action filed yesterday inthe United States District Court for the Eastern District ofLouisiana that they are facing multiple claims that threaten toexceed the limits available in an excess layer of coverage theywrote insuring Transocean. BP has claimed that it is anunrestricted additional insured under the excess layer and hascontinued to submit claims alongside Transocean.

The claims stem from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oilspill.

Whether BP is, in fact, eligible for coverage is among a numberof topics that are the subject of a separate legal action currentlyunder appeal in the Fifth Circuit.

The insurers filed this latest civil action to ensure paymentsare made to “the proper persons or entities, according to courtoversight.”

The insurers say Transocean has submitted to the insurers“certain amounts for reimbursement that Transocean has paid orincurred in connection with the Deepwater Horizoncasualty.”

The suit adds, “BP has also submitted and is expected tocontinue to submit claims for reimbursement for settlements ofpersonal-injury claims of Transocean crew and/or BP and Transoceansubcontractor-employee claims.”

Meanwhile, the limit of the policy underlying the excesscoverage in question has been exhausted, and the insurers say theyare facing “multiple, potentially conflicting and competingasserted interests to proceeds that may subject the [insurers] topotential claims for reimbursement equal to or greater than theavailable limits of coverage.”

The insurers are asking the court require Transocean and BP to“interplead” their claims — or settle who is the proper claimant.The insurers also ask the court to allow them to reimburseTransocean for “properly submitted, reasonable and covered claimssubmitted to date and in the future.”