Kenneth R. Feinberg, administrator of the $20 billion fund created to pay damages from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, has reopened the cash window. Mr. Feinberg halted payments on Tuesday while seeking clarification from the federal judge overseeing litigation related to the disaster. Judge Carl J. Barbier recently ruled that 6 percent of settlements after Nov. 7 be put in escrow for certain plaintiff litigation expenses. On Wednesday, he issued a ruling stating that the payment only applies to new settlements, and that the 6 percent will be calculated from the net amount of the settlement after withholding for liens and other obligations, not from the gross amount.

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