The British energy company BP, tarnished by a string of costly legal problems, is preparing to settle accusations that it was criminally indifferent to worker safety and that it manipulated energy prices, the U.S. media reported on Wednesday.

The Justice Department would announce as early as this week that BP had agreed to a settlement to end criminal investigations stemming from an explosion at a giant BP oil refinery in Texas City, Tex., two years ago, said a report carried by The New York Times.

The accident, at the U.S. third-largest refinery, killed 15 workers and injured 180 others. It was the nation's deadliest industrial accident since 1990, and one of the worst in modern times.

BP is also preparing to settle accusations that its energy trading unit was involved in manipulating prices in the propane market three years ago, the report added.

The Wall Street Journal also reported that the propane pricing settlement would involve a 303 million-dollar payment and changes to trading operations.

As part of that settlement, and to defer criminal prosecution, BP is expected to put its energy trading operations under the supervision of a government-appointed compliance monitor.