Describes what went wrong at Macondo Deepwater horizon oil spill Who takes the responsibility and whom to be blamed are being discussed.The Deepwater Horizon oil spill (also referred to as the BP oil spill, the BP oil disaster, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and the Macondo blowout) began on 20 April 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico on the BP-operated Macondo Prospect. It claimed eleven lives and is considered the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry
2. Deepwater Horizon
Rig operator
Cementing ContractorPrincipal Developer
Macondo Prospect
Largest accidental marine oil spill
Accused for
weaknesses in
cement design and
testing, quality
assurance and risk
assessment.
Nitrogen based
cement used was
blamed
Accused for
failure of BOP and
incorrect
evaluation of
negative pressure
test results
Accused for Cost
Savings, poor safety
operations , well
design and
decisions regarding
testing procedures
5. The Deepwater Horizon
Semi-submersible, mobile, floating,
dynamically positioned drilling rig
9year
Old
3000m
Deep Water
Operation
Manufacturer
OwnerLessee
March ‘08-September ‘13
Upto
57 ft.
Tall
400tons
Weight
6. Manufacturer Lessee Owner
Blow out preventer
• BOP failed to activate
• Didn't test the blowout
preventer's individual safety
systems.
• BOP was powered by a battery
(Found to be dead one)
7. 8:45 pm CDT- Unexpected burst of pressure from the
reservoir (kick)
9:45 pm CDT- High-pressure methane gas from the
well expanded into the drilling riser and rose into the
drilling rig
9:56 pm CDT- where it ignited and exploded, engulfing
the platform
What went wrong?
8. What went wrong?
• Blind shear rams failed to fully close and seal
due to a portion of drill pipe buckling
between the shearing blocks.
• Defective cement job
• failure to run a cement bond log test
• BOP had a hydraulic leak and a failed battery,
and therefore failed
• Installed just one third centralizers
• Faulty wiring in two places, a dead battery
and a bent pipe in the hulking device
9. Failed safety systems and
irresponsible behavior of
contractors had led to the
explosion, including claims that
Halliburton failed to properly use
modeling software to analyze
safe drilling conditions
“
”
BP blames contractors
10. • BP opted for a single long run of pipe rather
than an alternative approach that would
have increased the barriers to gas flow.
• BP failed to conduct a "cement bond log"
test to evaluate the integrity of the cement
at the bottom of the well, which was what
blocked gas and oil from emerging up the
production pipe.
• BP installed fewer than one-third of the
recommended number of centralizer
devices, which Transocean said had the
effect of "dramatically increasing the risk of
cement channeling and gas flow."
“
Contractors blames BP
11. Word War
BP spokesman Geoff Morrell said all of the
evidence "demonstrates that Transocean owned the
rig's blowout preventer and was responsible for its
maintenance".
Transocean spokesman Brian Kennedy said the
CSB report confirms the blowout preventer had been
tested properly and had activated during the accident,
“but was unable to seal the well because immense
pressure buckled the drill pipe and prevented the
blind shear ram from functioning as designed.”
“ ”
12. Conclusion
A complex and interlinked series of mechanical
failures, human judgments, engineering design,
operational implementation and team interfaces
BP is ultimately responsible for the spill,
and that Halliburton and Transocean share
some of the blame.
"a rush to completion"
Time & Money
Editor's Notes
BP was the operator and principal developer of the Macondo Prospect with a 65% share, while 25% was owned by Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, and 10% by MOEX Offshore 2007, a unit of Mitsui.
Cameron agreed to pay a $250 million settlement to BP PLC to settle all claims related to the Deepwater Horizon without admitting responsibility
At the same time,Transocean has attempted to limit its liability to just $27 million, citing a 159-year-old U.S. maritime law.
This move caused a firestorm of new criticism. a lawyer acting for injured rig workers said: 'Transocean has accepted more than $430 million in insurance proceeds related to the deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill, but has asked a Houston federal court to limit its liability to only $27 million ... This is a despicable action