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100-565: The Deepwater Horizon oil spill (also referred to as the " BP oil spill ") was an environmental disaster which began on 20 April 2010, off the coast of the United States in the Gulf of Mexico on the BP -operated Macondo Prospect , considered the largest marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry and estimated to be 8 to 31 percent larger in volume than the previous largest,

200-470: A 125-tonne (280,000 lb) containment dome over the largest leak and piped the oil to a storage vessel. While this technique had worked in shallower water, it failed here when gas combined with cold water to form methane hydrate crystals that blocked the opening at the top of the dome. Pumping heavy drilling fluids into the blowout preventer to restrict the flow of oil before sealing it permanently with cement (" top kill ") also failed. BP then inserted

300-425: A 21 in (530 mm) outside diameter marine riser . Deepwater Horizon was the second semi-submersible rig constructed of a class of two, although Deepwater Nautilus , its predecessor, is not dynamically positioned. The rig was 396 by 256 ft (121 by 78 m) and capable of operating in waters as deep as 8,000 feet (2,400 m), to a maximum drill depth of 30,000 ft (9,100 m). In 2010 it

400-464: A 9% decline. On 2 August 2010, the EPA said dispersants did no more harm to the environment than the oil and that they stopped a large amount of oil from reaching the coast by breaking it down faster. However, some independent scientists and EPA's own experts continue to voice concerns about the approach. Underwater injection of Corexit into the leak may have created the oil plumes which were discovered below

500-624: A device known as a blind shear ram , was activated but failed to plug the well. Ten workers were presumed killed by the initial explosion: Jason Anderson, 35, of Midfield, Texas; Donald Clark, 49, of Newellton, Louisiana; Stephen Ray Curtis, 40, of Georgetown, Louisiana; Gordon Jones, 28, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Roy Wyatt Kemp, 27, Jonesville, Louisiana; Karl Kleppinger Jr., 38, Natchez, Mississippi; Keith Blair Manuel, 56, of Gonzales, Louisiana; Dewey Revette, 48, of State Line, Mississippi; Shane Roshto, 22, Liberty, Mississippi; Adam Weise, 24, Yorktown, Texas. An eleventh

600-529: A focus for investigations of the explosion on the rig that month. Deepwater Horizon was built for R&B Falcon (which later became part of Transocean ) by Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan , South Korea. Construction started in December 1998, the keel was laid on 21 March 2000, and the rig was delivered on 23 February 2001, after the acquisition of R&B Falcon by Transocean. Until 29 December 2004

700-470: A large oil slick began to spread at the former rig site. The oil flowed for 87 days. BP originally estimated a flow rate of 1,000 to 5,000 barrels per day [bbl/d] (160 to 790 m/d). The Flow Rate Technical Group (FRTG) estimated the initial flow rate was 62,000 bbl/d (9,900 m/d). The total estimated volume of leaked oil approximated 4.9 MMbbl (210,000,000 US gal; 780,000 m) with plus or minus 10% uncertainty, including oil that

800-484: A large percentage of legal claims against them by paying $ 1.1 billion into a trust by way of three installments during two years. On 4 September 2014, U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier ruled BP was guilty of gross negligence and willful misconduct by the Clean Water Act (CWA). He described BP's actions as "reckless", while he said Transocean's and Halliburton's actions were "negligent". He apportioned 67% of

900-460: A replacement blowout preventer was installed. On 16 September 2010, the relief well reached its destination and pumping of cement to seal the well began. On 19 September 2010, National Incident Commander Thad Allen declared the well "effectively dead" and said that it posed no further threat to the Gulf. In May 2010, BP admitted they had "discovered things that were broken in the sub-surface" during

1000-421: A riser insertion tube into the pipe and a stopper-like washer around the tube plugged at the end of the riser and diverted the flow into the insertion tube. The collected gas was flared and oil stored on board the drillship Discoverer Enterprise . Before the tube was removed, it collected 924,000 US gal (22,000 bbl; 3,500 m) of oil. On 3 June 2010, BP removed the damaged drilling riser from

1100-473: A sponge. Although that method did not remove the oil completely, chemicals called dispersants were used to hasten the oil's degradation to prevent the oil from doing further damage to the marine habitats below the surface water. For the Deep Horizon oil spill, cleanup workers used 1,400,000 US gal (5,300,000 L; 1,200,000 imp gal) of various chemical dispersants to further breakdown

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1200-466: A study done in 2013 found that one of the plumes of dispersant-treated oil had reached a shelf 80 mi (130 km) off the Tampa Bay region. According to researchers, there is "some evidence it may have caused lesions in fish caught in that area". First, BP unsuccessfully attempted to close the blowout preventer valves on the wellhead with remotely operated underwater vehicles . Next, it placed

1300-676: A study from Georgia Tech and Universidad Autonoma de Aguascalientes in Environmental Pollution journal reported that Corexit used during the BP oil spill had increased the toxicity of the oil by 52 times. The scientists concluded that "Mixing oil with dispersant increased toxicity to ecosystems" and made the gulf oil spill worse. The three basic approaches for removing the oil from the water were: combustion, offshore filtration, and collection for later processing. USCG said 33,000,000 US gal (120,000 m) of tainted water

1400-482: A technique dating back to the Exxon Valdez disaster. The spill was also notable for the volume of Corexit oil dispersant used and for application methods that were "purely experimental." Altogether, 1.84 × 10 ^  US gal (7,000 m) of dispersants were used; of this, 771,000 US gal (2,920 m) were released at the wellhead. Subsea injection had never previously been tried but, due to

1500-419: A total of 1,074 mi (1,728 km) had been oiled since the spill began. As of December 2012, 339 mi (546 km) of coastline remain subject to evaluation and/or cleanup operations. The reported 3.19 million barrels of spilled oil was not the only effect of this disaster. A report detailed the release of thousands of tons of hydrocarbon gases (HC) into the atmosphere. Concerns were raised about

1600-458: A total of 13,300,000 ft (4,100 km) of booms were deployed. Booms were criticized for washing up on the shore with the oil, allowing oil to escape above or below the boom, and for ineffectiveness in more than three- to four-foot (90–120 cm) waves. The Louisiana barrier island plan was developed to construct barrier islands to protect the coast of Louisiana. The plan was criticised for its expense and poor results. Critics allege that

1700-681: A vertical depth of 35,050 ft (10,683 m) and measured depth of 35,055 ft (10,685 m) in the Tiber Oil Field at Keathley Canyon block 102, approximately 250 miles (400 km) southeast of Houston , in 4,132 feet (1,259 m) of water. Deepwater Horizon was a fifth-generation, RBS-8D design (i.e. model type), deepwater, dynamically positioned , column-stabilized, semi-submersible mobile offshore drilling unit , designed to drill subsea wells for oil exploration and production using an 18.75 in (476 mm), 15,000 psi (100,000 kPa) blowout preventer , and

1800-641: Is a list of major environmental disasters: A 2013 report examined the relationship between disasters and poverty world-wide. It concludes that, without concerted action, there could be upwards of 325 million people living in the 49 countries most exposed to the full range of natural hazards and climate extremes in 2040. According to author Daniel Murphy, different groups can adapt to environmental disasters differently due to social factors such as age, race, class, gender, and nationality. Murphy argues that while developed countries with access to resources that can help mitigate environmental disasters often contribute

1900-513: The Deepwater Horizon of US$ 401 million about 5 May 2010. Financial analysts noted that the insurance recovery was likely to be more than the value of the rig (although not necessarily its replacement value) and any liabilities – the latter estimated at as much as US$ 200 million . Litigation, ultimate assessment of damage, and the scope of final insurance recovery were all unknown as of June 2010 , with analysts reporting that

2000-884: The Gulf Islands National Seashore . In late June, oil reached Gulf Park Estates , its first appearance in Mississippi. In July, tarballs reached Grand Isle and the shores of Lake Pontchartrain . In September a new wave of oil suddenly coated 16 mi (26 km) of Louisiana coastline and marshes west of the Mississippi River in Plaquemines Parish . In October, weathered oil reached Texas. As of July 2011, about 491 mi (790 km) of coastline in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida were contaminated by oil and

2100-576: The Horizon collapsed, leaving the well gushing at the seabed and becoming the largest marine oil spill in history . Built in 2001 in South Korea by Hyundai Heavy Industries , the rig was commissioned by R&B Falcon (a later asset of Transocean), registered in Majuro , and leased to BP from 2001 until September 2013. In September 2009, the rig drilled the deepest oil well in history at

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2200-538: The Ixtoc I oil spill , also in the Gulf of Mexico. Caused in the aftermath of a blowout and explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform , the United States federal government estimated the total discharge at 4.9 MMbbl (210,000,000 US gal; 780,000 m). After several failed efforts to contain the flow, the well was declared sealed on 19 September 2010. Reports in early 2012 indicated that

2300-536: The Louisiana coast. BP was the operator and principal developer of the Macondo Prospect with a 65% share, while 25% was owned by Anadarko Petroleum , and 10% by MOEX Offshore 2007 , a unit of Mitsui . At approximately 7:45 pm CDT , on 20 April 2010, high-pressure methane gas from the well expanded into the marine riser and rose into the drilling rig, where it ignited and exploded, engulfing

2400-651: The United States Department of Justice settled federal criminal charges, with BP pleading guilty to 11 counts of manslaughter , two misdemeanors , and a felony count of lying to the United States Congress . BP also agreed to four years of government monitoring of its safety practices and ethics, and the Environmental Protection Agency announced that BP would be temporarily banned from new contracts with

2500-440: The United States of America . According to an Associated Press investigation, certain safety documentation and emergency procedure information, including documentation for the exact incident that later occurred, was absent. The exact number of required monthly inspections performed varied over time; the inspections were performed as required for the first 40 months, but after that about 25% of inspections were omitted, although

2600-591: The "top kill" effort. Oil slicks were reported in March and August 2011, in March and October 2012, and in January 2013. Repeated scientific analyses confirmed that the sheen was a chemical match for oil from the Macondo well. The USCG initially said the oil was too dispersed to recover and posed no threat to the coastline, but later warned BP and Transocean that they might be held financially responsible for cleaning up

2700-538: The Coast Guard was assured that no journalists were on board. In another example, a CBS News crew was denied access to the oil-covered beaches of the spill area. The CBS crew was told by the authorities, "This is BP's rules, not ours," when trying to film the area. Some members of Congress criticized the restrictions placed on access by journalists. The FAA denied that BP employees or contractors made decisions on flights and access, saying those decisions were made by

2800-406: The Deepwater Horizon as an industry model for safety". According to AP's investigation "its record was so exemplary, according to MMS officials, that the rig was never on inspectors' informal 'watch list' for problem rigs". At 7:45 p.m. CDT on 20 April 2010, during the final phases of drilling the exploratory well off the gulf of Mexico, a geyser of seawater erupted from the marine riser onto

2900-622: The EPA that Corexit use continued after that date and a GAP investigation stated that "[a] majority of GAP witnesses cited indications that Corexit was used after [July 2010]". According to a NALCO manual obtained by GAP , Corexit 9527 is an "eye and skin irritant. Repeated or excessive exposure ... may cause injury to red blood cells (hemolysis), kidney or the liver". The manual adds: "Excessive exposure may cause central nervous system effects, nausea, vomiting, anesthetic or narcotic effects". It advises, "Do not get in eyes, on skin, on clothing", and "Wear suitable protective clothing". For Corexit 9500,

3000-535: The FAA and Coast Guard. The FAA acknowledged that media access was limited to hired planes or helicopters, but was arranged through the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard and BP denied having a policy of restricting journalists; they noted that members of the media had been embedded with the authorities and allowed to cover response efforts since the beginning of the effort, with more than 400 embeds aboard boats and aircraft to date. They also said that they wanted to provide access to

3100-467: The Macondo site as the waters off the Florida Panhandle and Tampa Bay , where scientists said the oil and dispersant mixture is embedded in the sand . In April 2013, it was reported that dolphins and other marine life continued to die in record numbers with infant dolphins dying at six times the normal rate. One study released in 2014 reported that tuna and amberjack exposed to oil from

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3200-549: The Smithsonian's National Zoological Park , rescued animals to help with the spill cleanup, although there were many animals found dead. Environmental disaster Environmental disasters show how the impact of humans' alteration of the land has led to widespread and/or long-lasting consequences. These disasters have included deaths of wildlife, humans and plants, or severe disruption of human life or health, possibly requiring migration . Some environmental disasters are

3300-498: The USCG conducted a subsea survey; no oil coming from the wells or the wreckage was found and its source remains unknown. In addition, a white, milky substance was observed seeping from the wreckage. According to BP and the USCG, it is "not oil and it's not harmful." In January 2013, BP said that they were continuing to investigate possible sources of the oil sheen. Chemical data implied that the substance might be residual oil leaking from

3400-591: The United States government. BP and the Department of Justice agreed to a record-setting $ 4.525 billion in fines and other payments. As of 2018, cleanup costs, charges and penalties had cost the company more than $ 65 billion. In September 2014, a United States District Court judge ruled that BP was primarily responsible for the oil spill because of its gross negligence and reckless conduct. In April 2016, BP agreed to pay $ 20.8 billion in fines,

3500-565: The aftermath was of unprecedented scale and complexity compared to previous disasters which themselves took many years to resolve. A July 2010 analysis by the Financial Times of the aftermath cited legal sources as saying that "at some point the scale of the litigation becomes so large that it really is novel", that "the situation is likely to be complicated further because the variety of probable cases means it will be hard to aggregate them into so-called class actions " and that there

3600-447: The appearance of underwater, horizontally-extended plumes of dissolved oil. Researchers concluded that deep plumes of dissolved oil and gas would likely remain confined to the northern Gulf of Mexico and that the peak impact on dissolved oxygen would be delayed and long-lasting. Two weeks after the wellhead was capped on 15 July 2010, the surface oil appeared to have dissipated, while an unknown amount of subsurface oil remained. Estimates of

3700-648: The blame for the spill to BP, 30% to Transocean, and 3% to Halliburton. BP issued a statement strongly disagreeing with the finding, and saying the court's decision would be appealed. On 8 December 2014, The US Supreme Court rejected BP's legal challenge to a compensation deal for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The settlement agreement had no maximum, but BP initially estimated that it would pay about $ 7.8bn (£6.1bn) to compensate victims. As of 2018, approximately 390,000 claims for compensations had been filled, with around $ 65bn paid in settlements; thousands of claims were still outstanding. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill

3800-482: The blowout preventer) and the other in 2003 (pollution). A sixth citation in 2007 related to non- grounded electrical equipment was later withdrawn when the equipment was determined to be compliant with regulations. Overall the Deepwater Horizon 's safety record was "strong" according to a drilling consultant reviewing the information. In 2009 the Minerals Management Service "herald[ed]

3900-488: The clean-up of the oil spill to try to gain some control over the situation. Containment booms stretching over 4,200,000 ft (1,300 km) were deployed, either to corral the oil or as barriers to protect marshes, mangroves, shrimp/crab/oyster ranches or other ecologically sensitive areas. Booms extend 18–48 in (0.46–1.22 m) above and below the water surface and were effective only in relatively calm and slow-moving waters. Including one-time use sorbent booms,

4000-478: The coast are built a few feet off of the ground in order to decrease the damage caused by rising tides due to rising sea-levels. Although mitigation efforts such as those found in Miami might be effective in the short-term, many environmental groups are concerned with whether or not mitigation provides long-term solutions to the consequences of environmental disaster. Deepwater Horizon Deepwater Horizon

4100-509: The coast of Louisiana. During its operational lifetime, the rig was actively in operation for 93% of the time it was in service (2,896 of 3,131 days). The remainder partly was time spent moving between sites. The Minerals Management Service (renamed on 18 June 2010 to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement , or Bureau of Ocean Energy (BOE)) is the regulatory and inspecting body for offshore oil drilling and rigs in

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4200-406: The containment cap was removed to replace it with a better-fitting cap ("Top Hat Number 10"). Mud and cement were later pumped in through the top of the well to reduce the pressure inside it (which did not work either). A final device was created to attach a chamber of larger diameter than the flowing pipe with a flange that bolted to the top of the blowout preventer and a manual valve set to close off

4300-443: The decision to pursue the project was political with little scientific input. The EPA expressed concern that the booms would threaten wildlife. For a time, a group called Matter of Trust, citing insufficient availability of manufactured oil absorption booms, campaigned to encourage hair salons, dog groomers and sheep farmers to donate hair, fur and wool clippings, stuffed in pantyhose or tights, to help contain oil near impacted shores,

4400-542: The digestion of the oil by microbes but conflicting results have been reported on this in the context of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Mixing dispersants with oil at the wellhead would keep some oil below the surface and, in theory, allow microbes to digest the oil before it reached the surface. Various risks were identified and evaluated, in particular, that an increase in microbial activity might reduce subsea oxygen levels, threatening fish and other animals. Several studies suggest that microbes successfully consumed part of

4500-442: The disasters. For example, when Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana in 2005, many scientists argued that climate change had increased the severity of the hurricane. Although the majority of the U.S. emissions that can contribute to climate change come from industry and transport, the people who were hit hardest by Katrina were not the heads of large companies within the country. Rather, the poor Black communities within Louisiana were

4600-401: The dispersants add to the toxicity of a spill, increasing the threat to sea turtles and bluefin tuna . The dangers are even greater when poured into the source of a spill, because they are picked up by the current and wash through the Gulf. According to BP and federal officials, dispersant use stopped after the cap was in place; however, marine toxicologist Riki Ott wrote in an open letter to

4700-431: The environment in one form or another. In 2012, Markus Huettel, a benthic ecologist at Florida State University, maintained that while much of BP's oil was degraded or evaporated, at least 60% remains unaccounted for. In May 2010, a local native set up a network for people to volunteer their assistance in cleaning up beaches. Boat captains were given the opportunity to offer the use of their boats to help clean and prevent

4800-443: The flow once attached. On 15 July, the device was secured and time was taken closing the valves to ensure the attachment under increasing pressure until the valves were closed completing the temporary measures. Transocean's Development Driller III started drilling a first relief well on 2 May 2010. GSF Development Driller II started drilling a second relief on 16 May 2010. On 3 August 2010, first test oil and then drilling mud

4900-505: The information while maintaining safety. On 15 April 2014, BP announced that cleanup along the coast was substantially complete, while the United States Coast Guard work continued using physical barriers such as floating booms, the cleanup workers' objective was to keep the oil from spreading any further. They used skimmer boats to remove a majority of the oil and they used sorbents to absorb any remnant of oil like

5000-410: The investigation notes this is partly expected, since there are circumstances such as weather and movement which preclude an inspection. Reports of the last three inspections for 2010 were provided by Freedom of Information legislation . Each of these inspections had taken two hours or less. During its lifetime the rig received 5 citations for non-compliance, 4 of which were in 2002 (safety, including

5100-471: The largest environmental damage settlement in United States history. Deepwater Horizon was a 10-year-old semi-submersible, mobile, floating , dynamically positioned drilling rig that could operate in waters up to 10,000 ft (3,000 m) deep. Built by South Korean company Hyundai Heavy Industries and owned by Transocean , the rig operated under the Marshallese flag of convenience , and

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5200-492: The manual advised, "Do not get in eyes, on skin, on clothing", "Avoid breathing vapor", and "Wear suitable protective clothing". According to FOIA requests obtained by GAP, neither the protective gear nor the manual were distributed to Gulf oil spill cleanup workers. Corexit EC9500A and Corexit EC9527A were the principal variants. The two formulations are neither the least toxic, nor the most effective, among EPA's approved dispersants, but BP said it chose to use Corexit because it

5300-419: The most devastated by the hurricane. There have been many attempts throughout recent years to mitigate the impact of environmental disasters. Environmental disaster is caused by human activity, so many believe that such disasters can be prevented or have their consequences reduced by human activity as well. Efforts to attempt mitigation are evident in cities such as Miami, Florida , in which houses along

5400-410: The most to factors that can increase the risk of said disasters, developing countries experience the impacts of environmental disasters more intensely than their wealthier counterparts. It is often the case that the populations that do not contribute to climate change are not only in geographic locations that experience more environmental disasters, but also have fewer resources to mitigate the impact of

5500-404: The new oil. USGS director Marcia McNutt stated that the riser pipe could hold at most 1,000 bbl (160 m) because it is open on both ends, making it unlikely to hold the amount of oil being observed. In October 2012, BP reported that they had found and plugged leaking oil from the failed containment dome, now abandoned about 1,500 ft (460 m) from the main well. In December 2012,

5600-510: The oil from further spreading. To assist with the efforts the captains had to register their ships with the Vessels of Opportunity; however, an issue arose when more boats registered than actually participated in the clean-up efforts – only a third of the registered boats. Many local supporters were disappointed with BP's slow response, prompting the formation of The Florida Key Environmental Coalition. This coalition gained significant influence in

5700-498: The oil. The state of Louisiana received funding by BP to do regular testing of fish, shellfish, water, and sand. Initial testing regularly showed detectable levels of dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate , a chemical used in the clean up. Testing over 2019 reported by GulfSource.org, for the pollutants tested have not produced results. Due to the Deepwater Horizon spill, marine life was suffering. Thousands of animals were visibly covered in oil. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, working with

5800-405: The oil. By mid-September, other research claimed that microbes mainly digested natural gas rather than oil. David L. Valentine, a professor of microbial geochemistry at UC Santa Barbara , said that the capability of microbes to break down the leaked oil had been greatly exaggerated. However, biogeochemist Chris Reddy said natural microorganisms are a big reason why the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico

5900-475: The operations. Local and federal authorities citing BP's authority denied access to members of the press attempting to document the spill from the air, from boats, and on the ground, blocking access to areas that were open to the public. In some cases photographers were granted access only with BP officials escorting them on BP-contracted boats and aircraft. In one example, the U.S. Coast Guard stopped Jean-Michel Cousteau 's boat and allowed it to proceed only after

6000-401: The platform. Eleven missing workers were never found despite a three-day U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) search operation and are believed to have died in the explosion. Ninety-four crew members were rescued by lifeboat or helicopter, 17 of whom were treated for injuries. The Deepwater Horizon sank on the morning of 22 April 2010. The oil leak was discovered on the afternoon of 22 April 2010 when

6100-608: The possibility of an indefinite release of oil. The oil slick was comparable in size to naturally occurring oil seeps and was not large enough to pose an immediate threat to wildlife. The fundamental strategies for addressing the spill were containment, dispersal and removal. In summer 2010, approximately 47,000 people and 7,000 vessels were involved in the project. By 3 October 2012, federal response costs amounted to $ 850 million, mostly reimbursed by BP. As of January 2013, 935 personnel were still involved. By that time cleanup had cost BP over $ 14 billion. It

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6200-428: The prospect jointly owned by BP (65%), Anadarko Petroleum (25%) and MOEX Offshore 2007 (10%). Deepwater Horizon was still working on the Macondo site on 20 April 2010, when a violent explosion occurred resulting in destruction of the rig and the subsequent oil spill. This oil spill has been recorded as the largest offshore spill to occur to date, resulting in 40 miles (64 km) of coastal pollution. The well

6300-473: The released amount is not enough to pose an added cancer risk to workers and coastal residents, while a second research team concluded that there was only a small added risk. Oil was collected from water by using skimmers . In total, 2,063 various skimmers were used. For offshore, more than 60 open-water skimmers were deployed, including 12 purpose-built vehicles. EPA regulations prohibited skimmers that left more than 15 parts per million (ppm) of oil in

6400-449: The residual ranged from a 2010 NOAA report that claimed about half of the oil remained below the surface to independent estimates of up to 75%. That means over 100 × 10 ^  US gal (380 Ml) (2.4 million barrels) remained in the Gulf. As of January 2011, tar balls, oil sheen trails, fouled wetlands marsh grass and coastal sands were still evident. Subsurface oil remained offshore and in fine silts. In April 2012, oil

6500-429: The response and cleanup activities, extensive damage to marine and wildlife habitats and fishing and tourism industries was reported. In Louisiana , oil cleanup crews worked four days a week on 55 mi (89 km) of Louisiana shoreline throughout 2013. 4,900,000 lb (2,200 t) of oily material was removed from the beaches in 2013, over double the amount collected in 2012. Oil continued to be found as far from

6600-707: The response effort. All flights in the operations' area were prohibited except flight authorized by air traffic control ; routine flights supporting offshore oil operations; federal, state, local and military flight operations supporting spill response; and air ambulance and law enforcement operations. Exceptions for these restrictions were granted on a case-by-case basis dependent on safety issues, operational requirements, weather conditions, and traffic volume. No flights, except aircraft conducting aerial chemical dispersing operations, or for landing and takeoff, were allowed below 1,000 m (3,300 ft). Notwithstanding restrictions, there were 800 to 1,000 flights per day during

6700-574: The response. The first video images were released on 12 May, and further video images were released by members of Congress who had been given access to them by BP. During the spill response operations, at the request of the Coast Guard, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented a 900 sq mi (2,300 km) temporary flight restriction zone over the operations area. Restrictions were to prevent civilian air traffic from interfering with aircraft assisting

6800-462: The rig and transmitted maintenance and troubleshooting information. Advanced systems had a major role in the rig's operation, from pressure and drill monitoring technology, to automated shutoff systems and modelling systems for cementing . The OptiCem cement modelling system, used by Halliburton in April 2010, played a crucial part in cement slurry mix and support decisions. These decisions became

6900-510: The rig was registered in the Republic of Panama . Transocean, through its Steinhausen, Switzerland subsidiary Triton Asset Leasing GmbH, operated the rig under the Marshallese flag of convenience . The rig was leased to BP by a three-year contract for deployment in the Gulf of Mexico after construction. The lease was renewed in 2004 for a year, 2005 for five years, and 2009 for three years covering 2010 to 2013. The last contract

7000-436: The rig, shooting 70 metres (230 ft) into the air. This was followed soon by the eruption of a slushy combination of drilling mud , methane gas , and water. The gas component of the slushy material quickly transitioned into a fully gaseous state and then ignited into a series of explosions and then a firestorm. An attempt was made to activate the blowout preventer , but it failed. The final defense to prevent an oil spill,

7100-440: The seabed than the rig's official drilling specification stated on the company's fleet list. In February 2010, Deepwater Horizon commenced drilling an exploratory well at the Macondo Prospect ( Mississippi Canyon Block 252), about 41 miles (66 km) off the southeast coast of Louisiana , at a water depth of approximately 5,000 feet (1,500 m). The Macondo prospect exploration rights had been acquired by BP in 2009, with

7200-476: The spill developed deformities of the heart and other organs which would be expected to be fatal or at least life-shortening; another study found that cardiotoxicity might have been widespread in animal life exposed to the spill. Numerous investigations explored the causes of the explosion and record-setting spill. The United States Government report, published in September 2011, pointed to defective cement on

7300-534: The spill's unprecedented nature, BP, together with USCG and EPA, decided to use it. Over 400 sorties were flown to release the product. Although usage of dispersants was described as "the most effective and fast moving tool for minimizing shoreline impact", the approach continues to be investigated. A 2011 analysis conducted by Earthjustice and Toxipedia showed that the dispersant could contain cancer-causing agents, hazardous toxins and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Environmental scientists expressed concerns that

7400-434: The surface. Because the dispersants were applied at depth, much of the oil never rose to the surface. One plume was 22 mi (35 km) long, more than 1 mi (1,600 m) wide and 650 ft (200 m) deep. In a major study on the plume, experts were most concerned about the slow pace at which the oil was breaking down in the cold, 40 °F (4 °C) water at depths of 3,000 ft (900 m). In late 2012,

7500-422: The top of the blowout preventer and covered the pipe by the cap which connected it to another riser. On 16 June, a second containment system connected directly to the blowout preventer began carrying oil and gas to service vessels, where it was consumed in a clean-burning system. The United States government's estimates suggested the cap and other equipment were capturing less than half of the leaking oil. On 10 July,

7600-472: The transfer value as US$ 340 million . As of 2010 , the rig was insured for US$ 560 million covering the replacement cost and wreckage removal. Deepwater Horizon worked on wells in the Atlantis (BP 56%, BHP 44%) and Thunder Horse (BP 75%, ExxonMobil 25%) oil fields . It was described at times as a "lucky" and "celebrated" rig, and in 2007 was still described as "one of the most powerful rigs in

7700-509: The trigger source of more expansive environmental conflicts , where effected groups try to socially confront the actors responsible for the disaster. Environmental disasters have historically affected agriculture , wildlife biodiversity , the economy, and human health . The most common causes include pollution that seeps into groundwater or a body of water , emissions into the atmosphere , and depletion of natural resources , industrial activity, and agricultural practices. The following

7800-443: The water. Many large-scale skimmers exceeded the limit. Due to use of Corexit , the oil was too dispersed to collect, according to a spokesperson for shipowner TMT . In mid-June 2010, BP ordered 32 machines that separate oil and water , with each machine capable of extracting up to 2,000 bbl/d (320 m/d). After one week of testing, BP began to proceed and, by 28 June, had removed 890,000 bbl (141,000 m). After

7900-429: The well site was still leaking. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is regarded as one of the largest environmental disasters in world history. A massive response ensued to protect beaches, wetlands and estuaries from the spreading oil utilizing skimmer ships, floating booms , controlled burns and 1,840,000 US gal (7,000 m) of oil dispersant . Due to the months-long spill, along with adverse effects from

8000-450: The well was capped, the cleanup of shore became the main task of the response works. Two main types of affected coast were sandy beaches and marshes . On beaches, the main techniques were sifting sand, removing tar balls, and digging out tar mats manually or by using mechanical devices. For marshes, techniques such as vacuum and pumping, low-pressure flush, vegetation cutting, and bioremediation were used. Dispersants are said to facilitate

8100-448: The well, faulting mostly BP , but also rig operator Transocean and contractor Halliburton . Earlier in 2011, a White House commission likewise blamed BP and its partners for a series of cost-cutting decisions and an inadequate safety system, but also concluded that the spill resulted from "systemic" root causes and "absent significant reform in both industry practices and government policies, might well recur". In November 2012, BP and

8200-675: The well. The resultant oil spill continued until 15 July when it was closed by a cap. Relief wells were used to permanently seal the well, which was declared "effectively dead" on 19 September 2010. NOAA established the Gulf Spill Restoration project, administered by the Deep Water Horizon National Resource Damage Assessment Trustees, to help to restore much of the coastline. Transocean received an early partial insurance settlement for total loss of

8300-514: The world". In 2006, it discovered oil in the Kaskida oil field and, in 2009, the "giant" Tiber oil field . The well in the Tiber field had a true vertical depth of 35,050 ft (10,683 m) and a measured depth of 35,055 ft (10,685 m), below 4,132 ft (1,259 m) of water. The well was the deepest oil well in the world and more than 5,000 feet (1,500 m) farther below

8400-422: The wreckage. If that proves to be the case, the sheen can be expected to eventually disappear. Another possibility is that it is formation oil escaping from the subsurface, using the Macondo well casing as flow conduit, possibly intersecting a naturally occurring fault, and then following that to escape at the surface some distance from the wellhead. If it proves to be oil from the subsurface, then that could indicate

8500-633: Was "no way to put this in historical context because we have never faced anything like this before". As with the Exxon Valdez disaster , litigation was being discussed in terms of a 20-year timescale. In January 2013, Transocean agreed to pay US$ 1.4 billion for violations of the US Clean Water Act. BP had earlier agreed to pay $ 2.4 billion but was liable to additional penalties that could range from $ 5 billion to $ 20 billion. In September 2014, Halliburton agreed to settle

8600-497: Was an ultra-deepwater, dynamically positioned , semi-submersible offshore drilling rig owned by Transocean and operated by the BP company. On April 20, 2010, while drilling in the Gulf of Mexico at the Macondo Prospect , a blowout caused an explosion on the rig that killed 11 crewmen and ignited a fireball visible from 40 miles (64 km) away. The fire was inextinguishable and, two days later, on April 22,

8700-798: Was available the week of the rig explosion. On 19 May, the EPA gave BP 24 hours to choose less toxic alternatives to Corexit from the National Contingency Plan Product Schedule and begin applying them within 72 hours of EPA approval or provide a detailed reasoning why no approved products met the standards. On 20 May, BP determined that none of the alternative products met all three criteria of availability, non-toxicity and effectiveness. On 24 May, EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson ordered EPA to conduct its own evaluation of alternatives and ordered BP to reduce dispersant use by 75%. BP reduced Corexit use by 25,689 to 23,250 US gal (97,240 to 88,010 L) per day,

8800-501: Was chartered to BP from March 2008 to September 2013. It was drilling a deep exploratory well, 18,360 ft (5,600 m) below sea level, in approximately 5,100 ft (1,600 m) of water. The well is situated in the Macondo Prospect in Mississippi Canyon Block 253 (MC253) of the Gulf of Mexico , in the United States' exclusive economic zone . The Macondo well is found roughly 41 mi (66 km) off

8900-581: Was collected or burned before it could enter the Gulf waters. According to the satellite images, the spill directly affected 70,000 sq mi (180,000 km) of ocean, comparable to the area of Oklahoma . By early June 2010, oil had washed up on 125 mi (201 km) of Louisiana's coast and along the Mississippi , Florida , and Alabama coastlines. Oil sludge appeared in the Intracoastal Waterway and on Pensacola Beach and

9000-533: Was collected, making it the world's largest accidental spill. BP challenged the higher figure, saying that the government overestimated the prefaced volume. Internal emails released in 2013 showed that one BP employee had estimates that matched those of the FRTG, and shared the data with supervisors, but BP continued with their lower number. The company argued that government figures do not reflect over 810,000 bbl (34 million US gal; 129,000 m) of oil that

9100-433: Was crane operator Aaron Dale Burkeen, 37, Philadelphia, Mississippi, who died in the subsequent fire. The rig was evacuated, with injured workers airlifted to medical facilities. After approximately 36 hours, Deepwater Horizon sank on 22 April 2010. The remains of the rig were located resting on the seafloor approximately 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) deep at that location, and about 400 metres (1,300 ft) northwest of

9200-518: Was estimated with plus-or-minus 10% uncertainty that 4.9 MMbbl (780,000 m) of oil was released from the well; 4.1 MMbbl (650,000 m) of oil went into the Gulf. The report led by the Department of the Interior and the NOAA said that "75% [of oil] has been cleaned up by Man or Mother Nature"; however, only about 25% of released oil was collected or removed while about 75% of oil remained in

9300-491: Was in the final stages of completion after cement had been emplaced for its last casing string. The exploratory work had been described as "concluded" with permission having been requested already from MMS to terminate operations at the Macondo site. The rig was scheduled to move to its next roles as semi-permanent production platforms, initially at the Tiber site followed by a return to the Kaskida field, an oil dome 50 miles off

9400-649: Was not far worse. Genetically modified Alcanivorax borkumensis was added to the waters to speed digestion. The delivery method of microbes to oil patches was proposed by the Russian Research and Development Institute of Ecology and the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources . On 18 May 2010, BP was designated the lead "Responsible Party" under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 , which meant that BP had operational authority in coordinating

9500-467: Was one of approximately 200 deepwater offshore rigs capable of drilling in waters deeper than 5,000 ft (1,500 m). Its American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) class notations were "A1, Column Stabilized Drilling Unit, AMS, ACCU, DPS-3". In 2002, the rig was upgraded with "e-drill", a drill monitoring system whereby technical personnel based in Houston , Texas, received real-time drilling data from

9600-404: Was pumped at a slow rate of approximately 2 bbl (320 L) per minute into the well-head. Pumping continued for eight hours, at the end of which the well was declared to be "in a static condition." On 4 August 2010, BP began pumping cement from the top, sealing that part of the flow channel permanently. On 3 September 2010, the 300- ton failed blowout preventer was removed from the well and

9700-672: Was recovered, including 5,000,000 US gal (19,000 m) of oil. BP said 826,800 bbl (131,450 m) had been recovered or flared. It is calculated that about 5% of leaked oil was burned at the surface and 3% was skimmed. On the most demanding day, 47,849 people were assigned on the response works and over 6,000 Marine vessels, 82 helicopters, and 20 fixed-wing aircraft were involved. From April to mid-July 2010, 411 controlled in-situ fires remediated approximately 265,000 bbl (11.1 million US gal; 42,100 m). The fires released small amounts of toxins , including cancer-causing dioxins . According to EPA 's report,

9800-451: Was removed from the Louisiana coast. Although only "minute" quantities of oil continued to wash up in 2013, patches of tar balls were still being reported almost every day from Alabama and Florida Panhandle beaches. Regular cleanup patrols were no longer considered justified but cleanup was being conducted on an as-needed basis, in response to public reports. It was first thought that oil had not reached as far as Tampa Bay, Florida ; however,

9900-452: Was still found along as much as 200 mi (320 km) of Louisiana coastline and tar balls continued to wash up on the barrier islands. In 2013, some scientists at the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science Conference said that as much as one-third of the oil may have mixed with deep ocean sediments , where it risks damage to ecosystems and commercial fisheries. In 2013, more than 4,600,000 lb (2,100 t) of "oiled material"

10000-436: Was worth $ 544 million, or $ 496,800 a day, for a "bare rig", with crew, gear and support vessels estimated to cost the same. According to R&B Falcon's filings to SEC in 2001, the transfer document between R&B Falcon and Transocean was dated 17 August 2001, and the rig was specified as "official registration number of 29273-PEXT-1, IMO number of 8764597, with gross tonnage of 32,588 and net tonnage of 9,778" and

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