Opinion a decade after deepwater horizon the new york. In august 2010 louisiana district court judge carl barbier was appointed to oversee the consolidated proceedings relating to the spill, which had prompted numerous lawsuits and precipitated a. On this day eight years ago, the deepwater horizon offshore drilling rig experienced an uncontrollable blowout, causing an explosion that killed 11 people and set off the most devastating environmental disaster in us history. Deepwater horizon was an ultradeepwater, dynamically positioned, semisubmersible. The deepwater horizon oil rig explosion resulted in whats been named the worst environmental disaster in u. There are approximately 3400 deepwater wells in the gulf of mexico with depths greater than 150 meters it has not been technologically and economically feasible for many years, but with rising oil prices, more companies are investing in this area. Publishers ready books on deepwater horizon oil spill the new. On april 20, 2010, the oil drilling rig deepwater horizon, operating in the macondo prospect in the gulf of mexico, exploded and sank resulting in the death of 11 workers on the deepwater horizon and the largest spill of oil in the history of marine oil drilling operations. Id like to present some factual information concerning the deepwater horizon rig and the mineral management service u. In 2010 bps deepwater horizon catastrophe spiraled into the worst humanmade economic and ecological disaster in gulf coast history. The deepwater horizon was a deepwater, offshore oil drilling rig owned by transocean rig and contracted to the operator bp plc.
Therein is the books major failing, there are nothing like enough illustrations. Published on sep 30, 2016 on april 20 2010, the deepwater horizon oil rig exploded in the gulf of mexico, creating the worst spill in u. It does not dwell on the subsequent well containment and environmental cleanup. Ten years ago this week, a drilling rig called the deepwater horizon exploded 41 miles off the louisiana coast, setting in motion the biggest oil spill in u. Deepwater horizon an overview sciencedirect topics. Deepwater horizon joint investigation, brett cocales. Fears have lessened that the sinking of the oil rig deepwater horizon will. On the night of april 20, a bubble of methane gas escaped from the well and shot up the pipe towards the surface, causing an explosion and fire. Bp celebrates 10th anniversary of deepwater horizon by. Lessons for deepwater horizon that come directly out of the history books there are many parallels between the deepwater and ixtoc 1 oil spills. Is deepwater drilling safer, 5 years after worst oil spill.
Fire on the horizon the untold story of deepwater horizon. The deepwater horizon rig sat 42 miles off the louisiana shore, pumping oil up from deep beneath the seafloor. The rig was ten years old at the time of the catastrophe, but still pretty much a stateoftheart. Lessons for deepwater horizon that come directly out of the history books there are many parallels between the deepwater and ixtoc 1 oil spills, but the environmental damage could be much worse. Oil spill fears subside at rigexplosion site national geographic. It is the largest marine oil spill in history caused by an explosion on the deepwater horizon oil rig and its ultimate sinking. Deepwater horizon book fire on the horizon facebook page. Deepwater horizon was the second semisubmersible rig constructed of a class of two, although deepwater nautilus, its predecessor, is not dynamically positioned. Its been six years since the deepwater horizon oil rig exploded in the gulf of mexico, but for survivor mike williams, the memory is still fresh. It predates the publication of most of the various investigation and inquiry reports.
Deepwater horizon oil spill, largest marine oil spill in history, caused by an april 20, 2010, explosion on the deepwater horizon oil riglocated. Beyond finger pointing safety culture and the deepwater. For the one hundred and twentysix people aboard the deepwater horizon offshore oil rig, april 20, 2010, began like any normal day. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. In september 2009, the rig drilled the deepest oil well in history at a vertical depth of 35,050 ft 10,683 m. In the most comprehensive account to date, senior systems engineers earl boebert and james blossom show how corporate and engineering decisions, each one individually innocuous, interacted to create the disaster. The deepwater horizon true story reveals that the rig was located 52 miles off the coast of venice, louisiana. Read this book and over 1 million others with a kindle unlimited membership. Coast guard and bureau of energy management joint investigation of the april 20, 2010, deepwater horizon oil rig. This will go down in the history books as the earth day blowout. A formal civil and criminal investigation into the spill was initiated in june 2010 by the u. In a market that demands more than ever from a drilling company, transocean is raising the standard for what delivery to the customer means.
Fire on the horizon, by longtime oilrig mariner john konrad and. When the deepwater horizon disaster struck in 2010, mike williams, who worked as the chief electronics technician on the oil rig, emerged as one. Witnesses testified about the april 20, 2010 explosion and eventual sinking of the deepwater horizon oil rig in the gulf of mexico. As with most historical films, the postrelease flurry of critique and dialogue about the films accuracy has ensued, and bps blunders have become a conversation topic around most dinner tables. Deepwater horizon oil spill, also called gulf of mexico oil spill, largest marine oil spill in history, caused by an april 20, 2010, explosion on the deepwater horizon oil rig located in the gulf of mexico, approximately 41 miles 66 km off the coast of louisianaand its. At its best, the book is a fascinating look at a littleunderstood industry and a fastpaced and emotional story of the efforts to save the deepwater horizon. On april 20 of 2010, the deepwater horizon oil rig exploded, killing eleven people. A coast guard mh65c dolphin rescue helicopter and crew document the fire aboard the mobile offshore drilling unit deepwater horizon, while searching for survivors april 21, 2010. The deepwater horizon oil spill, also known as the bp oil spill, bp oil disaster or the gulf of mexico oil spill, was an industrial disaster that began on april 20, 2010, in the gulf of mexico. Lone survivor director peter berg helmed this docudrama about the deepwater horizon disaster, the 2010 oil rig explosion in the gulf of mexico that resulted in the largest offshore oil spill in u. Just 17 months before the deepwater horizon destroyed 600 miles of gulf coast, bp covered up a.
Deepwater and a sexanddrugs ethics scandal force change. Next is deepwater horizon, which is about the deepwater horizon oil rig explosion and those brave souls on board who kept the disaster from being even worse. The deepwater horizon was a worldclass drilling rig manned by a topflight crew that was put in jeopardy by bp, the operator of the macondo well, through a. This tragically took the lives of 11 rig workers, while 115 others were successfully. Deepwater horizon incident joint investigation, chad. Deepwater horizon was an ultradeepwater, dynamically positioned, semi submersible. Deepwater horizon movie vs true story of mike williams. Lessons for deepwater horizon that come directly out of. The film depicts the challenges that mike williams mark wahlberg and the rest of the rigs crew faced as they fought for survival. A systems analysis of the macondo disaster 1st edition by earl boebert, james m. Port fourchon, laon the very spot off the louisiana coast where the deepwater horizon drilling rig exploded and left the companys mark on the region forever, bp celebrated the 10th anniversary of its historic, 210milliongallon oil spill monday by dyeing the entire gulf of mexico black. It was the largest oil rig in the world at the time and had been digging the deepest well in history, starting on the seabed at a depth of 5,000 feet beneath the gulf of mexico. On april 20, 2010, while drilling at the offshore bp macondo prospect, there was a blowout on the rig followed by a release of gas and in turn an explosion that killed 11 crew members. On the night of april 20, 2010, williams, the chief electronics technician on the deepwater horizon oil rig, barely survived a devastating blowout that claimed the lives of 11 of his coworkers.
Eleven workers on the deepwater horizon drilling rig lost their lives and 16 others were seriously injured. Deepwater horizon by peter berg mark wahlberg, kurt. Before days end, the world would bear witness to one of the greatest manmade disasters in u. Deepwater horizon began showing in united states theaters on september 30. The movie opens with bp managers traveling to the deepwater horizon drilling rig in an attempt to expedite a project that has fallen more than a month behind at a cost of millions of dollars. Escaping gas and oil ignited, destroying the rig, killing eleven crew members, and injuring dozens more. It is also a multifaceted look at deepwater drilling, replete with swashbuckling history. Deepwater horizon oil spill legal action britannica. The emergency spiraled into the worst humanmade economic and ecological disaster in gulf coast history. Cavnar knows his material and wants you to understand it as well.
But the deepwater horizon rig was also about the business of opening new wells, and could carry up to 5,000 pieces of drilling equipment, pipe, and tools. Arco arena bp ford world rally team bp national championships bp natural world book prize bp pedestrian bridge. An explosion and fire aboard the deepwater horizon oil drilling rig in the gulf of mexico, approximately 50 miles off the louisiana coast, kills 11 people and triggers the largest. While we all love a great villain, and the portrayal of bp fits so. They focused on the vessels condition, crew qualifications. The blast tuesday night aboard the deepwater horizon rig 50 miles off the louisiana coast could prove to be one of the nations deadliest offshore drilling accidents of the past halfcentury.
The focus of this book is a history of the deepwater horizon mobile offshore. There were also enormous consequences for the companies involved in the drilling operations, to the gulf of mexico environment, and to the economy of the region and beyond. Gulf of mexico oil spill interactive smithsonian ocean. Few of the books that have been written about the bp oil leak that began last. Massive oil spill begins in gulf of mexico history. Deepwater drilling, or deep well drilling, is the process of creating holes by drilling rig for oil mining in deep sea. On april 20, 2010, the crew of the floating drill rig deepwater horizon lost control of the macondo oil well forty miles offshore in the gulf of mexico.
Publishers have bought at least six books relating to the explosion of the deepwater horizon drilling rig in the gulf of mexico on april 20, and several more proposals are circulating. Publishers see opportunities in the deepwater horizon disaster, if an author. Mark wahlberg leads an allstar cast in this unforgettably powerful film inspired by a thrilling story of reallife heroes. The rig was 396 by 256 ft 121 by 78 m and capable of operating in waters up to 8,000 feet 2,400 m deep, to a maximum drill depth of 30,000 ft 9,100 m. The focus of this book is a history of the deepwater horizon mobile offshore drilling unit modu, the runup to the blowout and the very immediate aftermath of the explosions. On april 20, 2010, the halfbilliondollar floating oil rig deepwater horizon became. Ten years ago, april 20, 11 men on the deepwater horizon were incinerated when the bptransocean oil rig blew out and exploded. The deepwater horizon drilling rig explosion was the april 20, 2010, explosion and subsequent fire on the deepwater horizon semisubmersible mobile offshore drilling unit modu, which was owned and operated by transocean and drilling for bp in the macondo prospect oil field about 40 miles 64 km southeast off the louisiana coast. The new movie deepwater horizon is an awesome, gripping, welltold drama about the destruction of an oil rig that lead to the biggest oil spill in u. As disasters go, this was definitely one for the history books. Our horizon also explores the historical perspective, charting the rigs. Konrad, a veteran oil rig captain, teams up with shroder old souls to offer a. In uzbekistan, coming to terms with the countrys dazzling history. What is the best book to read about the deepwater horizon.
Publishers ready books on deepwater horizon oil spill. Deepwater horizon 35,050 feet, vertical depth record and 35,055 feet, measured depth, deepest offshore oil and gas well record. The first explosion on transoceans deepwater horizon rig hit at 9. Cavnar brings his knowledge and attitude to describing the events leading up to the fire and blowout on the deepwater horizon and to its aftermath. The focus of this book is a history of the deepwater horizon mobile. Telling the true story of the heroes behind deepwater. Deepwater horizon oil spill deepwater horizon oil spill legal action.
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