A group of Colombian farmers has taken BP to court charging that the oil giant was negligent in managing construction of a pipeline, resulting in permanent environmental damage.

The 73 campesinos are seeking $29 million in compensation for damages.

The Guardian and Financial Times describe the suit as one of the largest environmental cases in recent legal history.

The oil pipeline in question is the nation's largest, the 515-mile long Ocensa, which transports roughly 600,000 barrels per day from the Llanos basin to the Caribbean coast.

The case opens in the British High Court this week, and is expected to last several months.