...Week 2 – Discussion Lou Stout University of Saint Mary March 7, 2013 Wow! To sum this tragedy up in 250 words will be hard. Stevenson (2012) tells us that a Type II error is “concluding a process is in control when it is not” (p. 429). To categorize the decisions made on that fateful day would be to say a ‘series of errors occurred’. When reading, Deepwater: Report to the President, one can easily tell that numerous mistakes lead to the events, and that BP was aware of several maintenance issues. “A September 2009 BP safety audit had produced a 30-page list of 390 items requiring 3,545 man-hours of work” (OilSpillCommission, 2011, p.6). It is apparent to this researcher that several ‘signs’ were missed when the crews were performing the negative-pressure test. They ran the test approximately three times on the main drill pipe, all of which failed; then they ran the test on the kill line, it passed, but the main drill pipe was still holding pressure, which actually means a failure (OilSpillCommission, 2011, p.107). In reading further, this was ‘put off’ as a bladder effect, when in reality; it was mounting signs of a ‘kick’. If one continues to read the Commission’s report, it is evident that numerous errors and misses directly influenced the events of April 20, 2010. The Commission goes on to say, “What nobody appears to have noticed during those six minutes (perhaps as a result of all of the activity) was that drill-pipe pressure was increasing again (OilSpillCommission,...
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...Proyecto de Investigación y Acción. Introducción. El 20 de abril de 2010, se dio uno de los accidentes que desató uno de los desastres naturales más grandes registrados en la historia. Un día como cualquiera en las aguas del golfo de México, una plataforma petrolera estadounidense explotó y posteriormente se hundió en medio del golfo, provocando un derrame de crudo de más 1000 kilómetros cuadrados. Este ha sido registrado como uno de los desastres naturales más grandes, y con consecuencias naturales sin precedentes, ya que el golfo de México es considerado uno de los ecosistemas más productivos en el planeta ()por su gran diversidad en especies marinas y sus cantidades de arrecifes que mantienen un equilibrio en el ecosistema marino de la zona. El accidente se dio el yacimiento Macondo, propiedad de una de las petroleras más grandes y reconocidas en todo el mundo, la British Petroleum (BP). Esta empresa es dueña de reconocidas marcas como Castrol y tiene oficinas en muchos países del mundo incluyendo una sucursal en Colombia. Las causas del accidente en la plataforma se le atribuye a una falla hidráulica en uno de los componentes más importantes de la estructura, lo que provocó la explosión, el posterior incendio y finalmente el hundimiento que aparte de iniciar el derrame de crudo cobró la vida de más de diez trabajadores que se encontraban en la plataforma. Más allá de las causas o fallas técnicas y de los posibles errores humanos que provocaron el derrame del...
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...BP & Deepwater Horizon C. Nelson BP & Deepwater Horizon Every business, in some way, is affected by public and private criticism. One industry that is never too far away from criticism is the oil and gas industry. Over the course of this essay, we will explore BP, its stakeholders, some of their criticisms, and BP’s response to those criticisms. BP, formerly British Petroleum, is the fourth largest oil and gas companies in the world in terms of revenue and sixth based on production. (Statista, 2015) (Forbes, 2015) Although BP doesn’t have an official mission statement, the company does have a few statements entitled “Our Values”, “Clear Priorities”, and “Our strategy and sustainability”. BP (2015) states, “We have five values that express our shared understanding of what we believe, how we aim to behave and what we aspire to be as an organization.” Those five values include safety, respect, excellence, courage, and one team. “Clear Priorities” (2015) details three main topics that top the company’s interests including: safe, reliable and compliant operations; disciplined financial choices; and competitive project execution. Thirdly, BP has a commitment to sustainability and states (2015), “We believe that the best way for BP to achieve sustainable success is by acting in the long-term interests of our shareholders, our partners and society.” The three pillars augment the lack of a mission statement and express BP’s commitments and responsibilities....
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...their “Accident Analysis” sections, but their chronology sticks to logs and facts compared to Transocean’s more narrative approach. BP uses bullet points at the beginning of their chronology and a dressed up spreadsheet with short descriptions of each timeline event. Transocean chronology is more descriptive and colorful. They use their incident chronology as a sounding board for all of BP’s shortcomings during the entire project. The use this section to minimize their involvement in the project. They use the chronology express “BP’s direction” and “BP’s poor decisions” during their involvement with them during the project. The Deepwater Horizon, which was owned and operated by Transocean and had been under contract to BP, proves they were in this together, yet both want to distance themselves from the catastrophe. BP’s Deepwater Horizon Accident Report seems to get want to get others involved in the blame, but they are careful not to day they are not at fault. I observed this is both reports, but you can see this more with BP. Then discuss why you think these two companies describe these events differently. Both companies obviously describe the incidents from a...
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...Running head: OIL DISASTER Deepwater Horizon Explosion Deepwater Horizon Explosion There was a major offshore oil spill that occurred on April 20, 2010 due to the Deepwater Horizon explosion. This has ultimately lead to the largest offshore oil spill in United States History. There have been many efforts made to try and stop the leak and on July 15, 2010 the oil leak was capped. There are now millions of gallons of oil that has leaked into the ocean and is now affecting the Gulf Coast. The biggest problem we are facing right now is finding a way to clean up the ocean and the shores along the Gulf and how it has affected the Gulf Coast. On the night of April 20, 2010 during the final phases of drilling an exploratory well a geyser of seawater erupted from a marine riser onto the rig. This was soon followed by the eruption of a slushy material. The gas component of the slushy material quickly transitioned into a fully gaseous state and ignited into a series of explosions and then into a firestorm. An attempt was made to activate the blowout preventer, but it failed. At the time of the explosion there were 126 crew on board, sadly eleven workers were presumed killed in the initial explosion. The rig was evacuated and support ships sprayed the rig with water to cool it and help prevent it from capsizing. However, after approximately 36 hours of burning, Deepwater Horizon sank on April 22, 2010 ("Deepwater Horizon," 2010). Huge blowouts where oil is being drilled is fairly...
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...BP bears brunt of blame for the deepwater horizon catastrophe for Report says oil company is 'ultimately responsible' for oil spill but rig contractors also implicated in some areas BP’s share prices rose almost 5% but fell back after report was published Photograph: Molly Riley/REUTERS A key US federal report has focused the blame for the worst offshore oil spill in US history on BP, but criticised its contractors sufficiently for the markets to push BP's share price up. Amid a string of failures, BP's "cost or time-saving decisions… were contributing causes of the blowout," the report concluded. Assigning ultimate responsibility for the disaster – and the billions of dollars of clean-up and compensation costs – will take years of legal action, but Wednesday's investigation report was seen as a significant indicator as it was conducted by the regulator responsible for offshore activities. The blowout at the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010 killed 11 people and led to almost 5 million barrels of oil being spilt into the ocean. BP's share price rose almost 5% in London on rumours the report would help avert the company being found grossly negligent in future, which would increase its financial liabilities hugely. But it fell back after the report was published, finishing the day up 3.5% at 395.1p. The investigation, jointly conducted by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (Boemre) and the US Coast Guard, stated that a...
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...area where Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill was located. Impact of The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Bioavailable Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons gave information on The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Which is the largest marine oil spill in United States history. It estimated the amount of oil spilled into the ocean the Federal government accepted estimate of 4.1 million barrels of oil and 7 million was supported by independent researchers. Furthermore, an estimated 2.1 million gallons of dispersants were applied at the ocean surface and the wellhead. This study demonstrated that the Deepwater Horizon oil spill impacted coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico and contributed to temporary increases in the bioavailable concentration of PAHs. Additionally, the data provide measures of potential exposures to PAHs in ecologically sensitive coastal areas, accessed by large human populations, which can be incorporated into ongoing studies in a variety of fields. Oil Impacts on Coastal Wetlands: Implications for the Mississippi River Delta Ecosystem after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill summarized the general knowledge of oil spill impacts on coastal marshes. Relative to the chemistry of oil and its related toxicity; the capacity of microbial processes to degrade oil and reduce toxicity; the responses of wetland vegetation, benthic biota, and marsh-dependent fishery resources to oil; and impacts on ecosystem services on which humans rely. Ecological Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill:...
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...British Petroleum Deepwater Horizon Felicia Kuse Abstract The following paper will describe recent events that occurred with a British Petroleum owned offshore oilrig known as “Deepwater Horizon”. In addition the paper will also discuss various safety issues, concerns, and repeated violations that have occurred resulting in an environmental disaster that impacts the Gulf of Mexico of which the long term effects will not be known for generations to come. British Petroleum Deepwater Horizon On April 10, 2010 the offshore drilling rig, operated by the world’s sixth largest oil producer British Petroleum, erupted in flames. The result of this disaster caused “170 million gallons of crude oil to spill into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico” ("NRDC.org", 2011, p. 4), killing 11 people, and creating what could be the largest ecological disaster of the 21st century. This disaster is considered by many to be the largest oil spill ever to occur. Clean up efforts are still ongoing after almost two years. British Petroleum (BP) has spent billions of dollars in cleanup cost, restitution and community development; however the greater effects on the environment will not be determined for many years to come. The direct cause of this disaster has been identified as mechanical failure of a blowout preventer located at the base of the well directly above the site entry on the bottom of the sea floor. When this mechanical valve failed, it cause as large plum of highly flammable gas...
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...BP Deepwater Horizon Accident Part 1(week 4) A Study of Strategic Implications of the Recent BP Deepwater Horizon Accident Date: Submitted by: Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed Student ID Number: H00032634 Chapter 1 Introduction History of British Petroleum (BP) Company British Petroleum is one of the oldest companies in the oil industry. According to BP Global (2010b), the company was founded in the year 1909 in the UK under the name Anglo-Persian Company. Later, in the year 1954, the company changed its name to British Petroleum (BP). Being in the gas and oil industry, BP conducts various operations including exploration and refining of oil among others. According to BP Global (2010), Bp is the largest energy company globally with presence in over 100 countries. Overview of the Deepwater Horizon Accident In the year 2010, BP experienced a Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster which involved gas release and subsequent explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. According to Webb (2010), the fire lasted for 36 hours and this was followed by leaking of hydrocarbon into the Gulf for eighty-seven days. BP admitted responsibility explaining that the accident occurred following loss of control related to pressure within the well blowouts in which a special type of is designed to keep constant pressure. Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon accident This tragedy impacted immensely on various BP stakeholders i.e. local communities, global customers...
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...There are many key takeaways that are derived from the Deepwater Horizon Disaster. The behaviors and attitudes of leaders were disappointing at best, and irresponsible at worst. It appears that BP presided over an organizational culture that sanctioned extreme risk-taking, ignored expert advice, overlooked warnings about safety issues, and hid facts (Morgan, Whitehead, Huth, Martin, and Sjolander, 2016). Their failure to respond to the disaster with sufficient speed and attention, was a direct consequence of the flawed culture. On April 20, 2010 there was an explosion and fire on the BP-licensed drilling rig Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico. While the Deepwater Horizon Rig sunk two days later, the seafloor oil gusher that resulted...
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...10-110 Rev. April 3, 2012 BP and the Deepwater Horizon Disaster of 2010 Christina Ingersoll, Richard M. Locke, Cate Reavis When he woke up on Tuesday, April 20, 2010, Mike Williams already knew the standard procedure for jumping from a 33,000 ton oil rig: “Reach your hand around your life jacket, grab your ear, take one step off, look straight ahead, and fall.”1 This would prove to be important knowledge later that night when an emergency announcement was issued over the rig’s PA system. Williams was the chief electronics technician for Transocean, a U.S.-owned, Switzerland-based oil industry support company that specialized in deep water drilling equipment. The company’s $560 million Deepwater Horizon rig was in the Gulf of Mexico working on the Macondo well. British Petroleum (BP) held the rights to explore the well and had leased the rig, along with its crew, from Transocean. Of the 126 people aboard the Deepwater Horizon, 79 were from Transocean, seven were from BP, and the rest were from other firms including Anadarko, Halliburton, and M-1 Swaco, a subsidiary of Schlumberger. Managing electronics on the Deepwater Horizon had inured Williams to emergency alarms. Gas levels had been running high enough to prohibit any “hot” work such as welding or wiring that could cause sparks. Normally, the alarm system would have gone off with gas levels as high as they were. However, the alarms had been disabled in order to prevent false alarms from waking people in the middle of...
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...While British Petroleum’s (BP) cost cutting measures played a significant role in the tragic explosion of the Deepwater Horizon, a multitude of poor decisions, inadequate testing, insufficient communication, and culture that prioritized profits ahead of safety that were the chief culprits of the disastrous events that lead to the Deepwater Horizon tragedy (Achenbach, 2011). Although, BP executives made several critical decisions to save time and reduce costs that increased risks and comprised safety (Goldenberg, 2011). The company’s culture of de-prioritizing safety resulted in poor communication among staff and an overall lack of discipline related to adhering to safety protocols that enabled unconscionably poor decisions by BP executives...
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...There were a few key causes for the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Communication was a problem worker and management had poor communication with one another. BP failed in the communication area, by letting the drill crew in on the findings from testing the cement. As a result, the test performed showed that this was not a good solution to hold the barriers. The cement was not of quality, and was not tested properly before they began cementing. The cement was tainted, unstable and insufficient instruments were used to secure the casing of the well. “BP has blamed a sequence of failures including a bad cement job and poorly-maintained safety equipment for the huge oil spill from its now permanently-sealed Macondo well” (A problem shared is a liability...
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...old abandoned house. I couldn't help but stop for a few minutes and look at the details of the huge, strange shaped house. I noticed that it had been a long time since anybody even took a look at the house. The old house was left to die, alone, with no one to care. The paint was peeling, the windows were broken and the shingles had been torn from the roof, probably by past storms. What caught my eye was that the unkempt yard, it looked like it hadn’t been cut since the house was abandoned, the grass was almost my height and there was nothing but weeds everywhere. I imagined this house would’ve probably been huge and gorgeous in its days. It had three full stories. The fourth floor had an attic where you could sit and see the sunset on the horizon. The house also had a huge porch with large white columns making a fence to support the balcony. The columns were full of dirt; they looked less white and more brownish-black. As I slowly continued to walk past the house, I could hear the wind whistling through the broken windows. I could see the leftovers of the curtains moving gently in the breeze and the grass swishing left and right in the wind. As I was giving the house a final look I thought I saw a silhouette of somebody beside the window gazing upon me so I started to walk a little bit faster. As I walked I wondered how much longer this house could stand up to the rain and wind before it surrendered itself to nature or would people destroy it and replace it. Maybe it would just be...
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...Feb. 19, 2013 A Formal Analysis of John Constable’s Seascape with Sailing Vessels on the Horizon John Constable is one of the first Romantic artists to view landscapes for their own beauty. He painted during the Industrial Revolution and as a result viewed industrialization as the degradation of the natural environment. Constable’s dystopic view of the Industrial Revolution is evident in his paintings in which he juxtaposes elements of the natural world and industrial world to convey a certain message. In his painting Seascape with Sailing Vessels on the Horizon, Constable contrasts the pollution of the sea with the serene, vast sky to depict the grandeur of nature and its tenacity even in the face of industrialization. Constable noticeably uses color to describe the contaminated and tumultuous waves of the sea in opposition to the glowing and still sky. The viewer’s eyes first jump to the tide hitting the beach and creating a splash of water at the forefront of the painting. The colors used at this location are navy, mustard yellow, brown, grey, and creamy-white. These colors in the sea connote to filthy, muddled water. Furthermore, there are a couple of distinct dashes of deep, dark grey colors at the splash site that add to the effect of making the water seem dirty. The colors in the sea are most intense at this splash site but the viewer also notices specks of burgundy through out the sea that confirm the pollution and impure composition of the sea. In contrast...
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