BP is in talks to sell assets, including stakes in its Alaska oil fields, to Apache for $10 billion to $12 billion, a person briefed on the matter said on Sunday.

Should a deal be reached  one is not expected immediately  it would help provide BP with additional money to pay for cleaning up the immense oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Talks are continuing and may not result in a transaction, this person cautioned.

As it struggles to finally plug the gushing well in the gulf, including by installing a new containment cap, BP has been taking steps to pay for the cleanup costs. Last month, the company pledged to President Obama that it would set aside $20 billion in an escrow fund to handle claims, although some analysts have estimated that BP’s total liability may rise to $70 billion.

Among the assets that may be sold is BP’s 26 percent stake in the Prudhoe Bay field in Alaska’s North Slope, the largest oil field in North America.