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Deepwater Horizon Update August 12, 2010

Published Jan 20, 2011 4:28 PM by The Maritime Executive

Latest News
BP has halted drilling of the relief well along with clean-up efforts as poor weather moves into the gulf coast.

Joint Investigation
The hearing that convened on April 27th will work to develop conclusions and recommendations as they relate to the Deepwater Horizon MODU explosion and loss of life on April 20, 2010. The conclusions and recommendations of the hearing will be submitted to Coast Guard Headquarters and BOEM for approval. Upon approval the final investigative report will be made public. The investigators have until the end of January to make their conclusions.


  • Just before the April 20th disaster, Transocean hired risk management company Lloyd's Register to assess the company's safety standards. Equipment reports from the Deepwater Horizon reveal that at least 36 pieces of equipment on the Deepwater Horizon were in poor condition that "may lead to loss of life, serious injury or environmental damage as a result of inadequate use and/or failure of euipment." The reports revealed safety concerns on many of Transoceans rigs especially the four operating in the gulf at the time. Additionally, the report indicated problems with the Deepwater Horizon's ballast system, that keeps the rig afloat and stable.
     
  • BP has also accused Transocean of maintenance lapses and a 30 page September 2009 audit revealed "overdue planned maintenance considered excessive- 390 jobs amounting to 3.545 man hours," Richard Godfrey, lawyer for BP.
     
  • Transocean's Chief Engineer, Stephen Bertone was asked how many of these 390 jobs had been completed before the April 20th explosion, his response was "I do not have that number." He also told the panel that "rig-wide electrical failures had occurred 2 or 3 times before the explosions," and that the rigs thruster had been hving problems for 8 months prior and the drillers chair had lost power just days before the disaster.


Recent News



  • The latest spill estimates are more specific and report that BP's ruptured well was leaking 62,000 barrels per day at the start of the spill and later dropped down to 53,000 just before the well was capped.
     
  • Oil could enter th food chain: Oil contaminated crab larvae has been found which may implicate long term affects on marine life and seafood.
     
  • The Enviroment & Public Works subcommittee reports that dispersants on their list required additional approval, that BP did not obtain. Also no examination was ever done as to which dispersants on the list were the best or the worst. The subcommittee is under scrutiny for not having determined which dispersants were the best to use.


Scientist Speak Out
Amid the latest rosy report from NOAA and he government revealing that most of the oil has now disappeared, scientist who have been researching the spill affects on the environment are speaking out about their experience providing data to NOAA.



  • The St. Petersburg Times reported that USF marine sciences dean William Hogarth said "I got lambasted by the Coast Guard & NOAA when we said there was undersea oil.
     
  • The St. Petersburg Times also reported that oceanographer Vernon Asper from the University of Southern Mississippi said "we expected that NOAA would be pleased because we found something very, very interesting, but NOAA responded by trying to discredit us."


Photo courtesy of AFP