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BP Oil Spill

BP Oil Spill

The BP Oil Spill of 2010 was the largest oil spill in history. It was caused by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig Explosion which cause oil to gush into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana, for months. The final tally of oil spilled into the Gulf was 218,400,000 gallons, or 5,200,000 barrels of oil, according to CNN.

About BP Oil Spill

On July 16, 2010 BP was for the first time able to stop oil from leaking from the Deepwater Horizon oil well into the Gulf of Mexico. The new containment cap, based on a design from a plumber, fit over the broken well and responded well to testing.

On August 3, 2010 BP began testing and preparing to do a 'static kill' operation on the oil leak. A static kill is the process of forcing a very heavy liquid, called 'drilling mud' into a well to push down the oil. Once the oil is forced down, cement is poured into the well to seal it.

The drilling platform, built by Hyundai Heavy Industries, owned by Transocean, and leased by BP began operating in February of 2010. Due to an explosion at the well head, flames erupted to the surface resulting in a huge explosion causing 11 deaths, 17 injuries, and causing the oil rig to sink into the Gulf. The oil rig was drilling in 5000 feet of water, and all of the existing safety devices in place failed. This resulted in oil leaking from several spots in the piping directly into the gulf. Because of the depth of the well head and severe weather, all efforts to cap the well or to slow down the spread of oil failed in the first weeks of the disaster.

The exact cause of the leak is unknown, but a methane bubble is one likely explanation. It is known that due to a loop hole in legislation, BP was allowed to operate the oil rig in the Gulf without all of the safety devices that it is required to use in other countries.

The consequences of the disaster are still being examined. Wild life living on the shores of the Gulf are especially vulnerable to contamination and the fishing industry in the Gulf has felt a huge impact, and if the oil is taken into the Gulf Stream it will cause the same issues along most of the Atlantic sea coast.

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BP Oil Spill