Under-fire BP chief 'may get Russia job'

The oil giant is today expected to confirm his resignation from the top job following a board meeting last night but is likely to offer Mr Hayward a non-executive directorship at TNK-BP in Russia.

The move could mean the beleaguered chief executive's 28-year career with BP is not brought to a complete halt.

Shares in BP closed five per cent higher as investors cheered the prospect of a change at the helm following the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster.

The firm declined to comment on the reported offer of a Russian role for Mr Hayward and said "no final decision" had been taken on his future.

But his fate is expected to be confirmed today alongside provisions running into tens of billions of dollars for the Gulf of Mexico spill, which has triggered the worst crisis in the company's history.

Mr Hayward has led the firm since 2007 but has committed a string of public relations blunders since the crisis began in April.

Fellow board member and US citizen Bob Dudley – currently in charge of the Gulf oil spill clean-up operation – is the favourite to take over, becoming BP's first foreign chief executive.

He was previously head of the Russian operation, but fled the country after a dispute flared up with the firm's Russian partners.

Since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank on April 20, killing 11 workers, Mr Hayward has raised hackles by claiming he "wanted his life back", going sailing and putting in an evasive performance before US senators who accused him of stone-walling.