On Jan. 6, 2010 a report by the National Oil Spill Commission, an investigative panel set up by President Obama, revealed that the BP disaster was a result of the company’s “systematic failures” and required a “significant reform” of the industry. The panel argued that the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon, which killed 11 workers and spilled 200 million tons of oil, could have been prevented. Proper attention was not paid to numerous warning signs that led up to the tragedy. A key decision on BP’s request to set up an “unusually deep cement plug” was made by the government agency then known as the Minerals Management Service in just 90 minutes. This decision was one of the major blunders that helped to cause the worst oil leak in US history.
Weitz & Luxenberg is dedicated to providing you with extensive information on the Gulf oil spill. We currently represent over 500 fishermen in a class action lawsuit. These fishermen relied on commerce generated by the fish in the gulf coast to earn a living. Many of them are now left with a diminished source of income, while others are left without any income at all.
What led to the blowout?
After their exploratory rig found oil, BP hired the Halliburton firm to seal the well with a temporary cement plug. Cement functions as a crucial barrier for helping to prevent blowouts of oil wells.
The Oil Commission reports that Halliburton used flawed materials to seal the well, knowingly causing it to be unstable. The company countered by saying that BP was the one at fault for not conducting a necessary test on the cement plug to determine stability. Halliburton later also admitted to skipping a test on the final condition of the cement.
Deep sea drilling is performed miles underneath the water at near-freezing temperatures, in complete darkness. The water pressure at this depth is strong enough to crush a submarine. Methane hydrates exist at this water level in a sludgy, crystalline state. When methane is pushed upwards, it passes through lower-pressure zones where it gains tremendous force and transforms into a gaseous substance. Prior to the Deepwater blowout, heat was used to cement the well. This heat helped to destabilize the methane hydrates that exploded up onto the oil rig.
The company which leased the drilling rig to BP, Transocean LTD. replied to the Oil Spill Commission’s finding by stating that “the procedures being conducted in the final hours were crafted and directed by BP engineers.”
Halliburton also said that it acted directly under orders from BP. An email discovered by the Oil Commission confirmed that final approval of the cement seal job was indeed issued by BP.
“Who cares, it's done, end of story, will probably be fine and we'll get a good cement job," wrote BP engineer Brett Cocales in the email, just four days before the Deepwater rig explosion. Cocales was referring to BP’s decision to use fewer centralizers than recommended to ensure proper cementing of the well plug. Centralizers help to stabilize or “center” the pipe during the cementing process.
The Oil Commission’s findings revealed that the cement failure at the well’s bottom led to the entry of the oil and gas which exploded upwards causing the spill.
The disaster was preventable
As more and more details are revealed about what led to the BP disaster, it becomes clear that BP negligence and carelessness were major causes of the oil spill. The presidential panel concluded its December reports with the conclusion that BP’s management was severely at fault. BP executives made the risky decisions which led to the blowout in order to save money and time.
The Oil Commission’s co-chairman Bob Graham said, “This disaster likely would not have happened had the companies involved been guided by an unrelenting commitment to safety first.”
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Sources:
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-01-06/bp-spill-shows-industry-needs-to-change-panel-says.html
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/40941697/ns/today-green/
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