BP's head of the Gulf of Mexico response operation Robert Dudley is set to take over from Tony Hayward as chief executive of the beleaguered company, reports indicate.

Reports citing unnamed sources close to the company have been carried by a number of major news outlets, including the BBC, Bloomberg and the New York Times, and there is speculation that an announcement may be made later today (July 26th).

Mr Dudley, a chemical engineer by training, took operational control of the Deepwater Horizon response effort after a series of gaffes made by Mr Hayward during the early stages of the disaster.

Mr Hayward beat Dudley to the top position in 2007, although Mr Dudley's pledge to establish safety and training as the company's top priorities was commended at the time and has gained additional credence in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon crisis.

The company will be holding a board meeting later this evening ahead of the publication of its second-quarter results tomorrow, and insists that as yet no final decision has been made on a potential executive restructuring.

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