How Did The BP Oil Spill Happen?

What Caused the Deepwater Horizon Disaster?

On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon rig was sealing an oil well approximately 5,000 feet beneath the surface to prepare it for a subsequent rig to later drain the oil. However, while celebrating the closing of the well with several BP managers on deck, a surge of explosive, highly pressurized methane gas came flying up the well and got sucked into the intake of the diesel engines powering the Deepwater Horizon, causing them to over-rev and explode. The explosion was so powerful that three-inch-thick, fire-rated steel doors ripped away from the six steel hinges supporting them. Within minutes, several other explosions erupted, and before long, the entire deck was ablaze. Two days later, the rig, Deepwater Horizon, owned by Transocean, leased and operated by BP with critical support subcontracted from Halliburton, sank to the bottom of the Gulf, marking the Gulf oil spill 2010 as a catastrophic event.

BP’s Negligence in the Gulf Oil Spill

The initial reports revealed a few main culprits. A part of the blowout preventer (BOP) called the “annular,” which is a rubber gasket used to seal the well, was damaged weeks before when someone moved the shaft while the annular was engaged causing it to rip to pieces. The crew reported large chunks of rubber coming up in the ‘mud,’ but when they informed management, they were told everything was fine and to keep drilling. “Mud” is man-made drilling fluid pumped down the well and back up the sides in continuous circulation. The sheer weight of it keeps the oil and gas down and the well under control.

In addition to the blow out preventer’s main sealing mechanism, the annular being damaged, there is evidence that one of the two control units to the blow out preventer also wasn’t working properly, with a hydraulic fluid leak and a weak battery—all issues BP and others knew about, later fueling countless BP oil spill claims. But their greed and negligence didn’t allow them to stop there.

How Preventable Failures Led to an Oil Spill Lawsuit

In finishing the well, the plan was to have the subcontractor, Halliburton, place three concrete plugs at various depths in the column. The plugs are a further safety mechanism to prevent gas and oil from exploding up due to the tremendous pressure. The Transocean manager wanted to do this with the column full of ‘mud’ to keep the pressure contained on the Deepwater Horizon. However, the BP manager wanted to begin removing the ‘mud’ before the last plug was set. This would dangerously reduce the pressure controlling the well before the plugs were finished but it would make the process much faster saving BP valuable time and money.

This was so easily preventable if only the ‘mud’ had been left in the pipe, the annular and control module on the BOP had been repaired prior to continuing, or the plugs had been set correctly—and if anyone had stepped up to stop drilling, the oil spill lawsuit that followed might never have been necessary. In the end, the drilling fluid was removed before the last plug was set, the bottom plug failed, the BOP and annular didn’t work. Couple that with the failure to have an adequate disaster plan and the inability to mitigate the damage effectively, and the result is the environmental disaster BP caused—the worst man-made environmental disaster in U.S. history.

If you have suffered a loss of income or have been physically injured due to this disaster, please call or contact us today. The personal injury lawyers at Rosen & Ohr, P.A. Florida oil spill lawyers, are experienced, dedicated to this cause, and ready to serve you throughout the Sunshine State!