Halliburton pleads guilty to destroying Gulf oil spill evidence

(Reuters) - Halliburton Co has agreed to plead guilty to destroying evidence related to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and will pay the maximum possible statutory fine, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Thursday.

The plea agreement requires court approval, and also requires the Houston-based company to be subject to three years of probation and to continue its cooperation with the government's ongoing criminal probe.

Halliburton also made a voluntary $55 million payment to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation that is not subject to court approval of the plea agreement, the Justice Department said.

A spokeswoman for Halliburton did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Gary Hill)