* Third company to plead guilty over Gulf spill
* Halliburton to pay $200,000 fine
* $55 million to be donated to fish and wildlife group
July 25 (Reuters) - Halliburton Co has agreed toplead guilty to destroying evidence related to the 2010 Gulf ofMexico oil spill, the U.S. Department of Justice said onThursday.
The government said the guilty plea is the third by acompany over the spill, and requires the world's second-largestoilfield services company to pay a maximum $200,000 statutoryfine. Halliburton also made a separate, voluntary $55 millionpayment to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, theJustice Department said.
Halliburton also agreed to three years of probation, and tocontinue cooperating with the criminal probe into the April 20,2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig.
Court approval of the settlement is required.
A Halliburton spokeswoman did not immediately respond torequests for comment.
The disaster caused 11 deaths and triggered the largest U.S.offshore oil spill following the rupture of the Macondo oilwell, which was 65 percent owned by BP Plc. Halliburtonhad earlier provided cementing services to help seal the well.
According to the government, Halliburton recommended to BPthat the Macondo well contain 21 centralizers, metal collarsthat can improve cementing, but BP chose to use six.
The government said that, during an internal probe into thecementing after the blowout, Halliburton ordered workers todestroy computer simulations that showed little differencebetween using six and 21 centralizers. Efforts to forensicallylocate the simulations were unsuccessful, the government said.
A document detailing the allegations was filed with the U.S.District Court in New Orleans.
BP and Transocean Ltd previously entered guiltypleas related to other aspects of the Gulf oil spill. Neitherimmediately responded to requests for comment.
The case is U.S. v. Halliburton Energy Services Inc, U.S.District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, No. 13-00165.