Introduction Oil spills happens every year through cleaning of tankers. These spills contribute more petro-pollutants to the ocean than offshore rig blowouts though less attention is generated when compared to blowouts of oil rigs (Nadakavukaren, 2006). Whenever there is a rig blowout or tanker spill, far more attention is attracted as in the case of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The Gulf of Mexico oil spill is an oil spill that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico with oil spilling for three months in 2010. This spill generated a lot of attention and the EPA is monitoring the air, water, sediments and waste management data so as to protect people from this environmental disaster “The EPA has an active oil spill prevention program which focuses …show more content…
There were five human errors that were generated by NOLA from 100 hours of testimony before a federal investigative panel. These human errors were: Fewer barriers to gas flow, fewer centralizers to keep cement even, no bond log to test cement integrity, mud barrier removed early and pressure test misinterpreted which ultimately led to the failure of the blowout preventer. These are maintenance issues that were neglected “According to a separate 112-page equipment assessment also commissioned by Transocean, many of the components-including the blowout preventer and fail safe valves had not been fully inspected since 2000, even though guidelines require inspection of the preventer every three to five years” (NY Times, 2010). Since BP was planning to disconnect the well and move to another well, a company (Halliburton) was hired to cement the wells. The quality of cement and the seal used were questionable “BP and congressional investigators have raised questions about the cementing suggesting that the seal might have been faulty and failed to keep gas from rising up in the well” (NY Times, 2010). Dissipation and Areas Affected The spread of oil to the shorelines can be due to a series of factors. The weather might have played a part in the spread of the oil since strong winds
During the Deepwater Horizon event, 18 Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) teams consisting of Federal, State, Local and BP Plc. Representatives conducted field surveys to determine the location, scale and character of oiled shoreline (Michel et al., 2013). This data was essential to creating site-specific Shoreline Treatment Recommendations (STRs) which were based on criterion involving oil properties, season, habitat type and use. SCAT surveys were carried out by teams documenting oil character, thickness, percent distribution, width and length of the oiled band(s), tidal zone where the oil band(s) were observed, the average and maximum size of oil deposits, and recommended cleanup tactics (Michel et al., 2013). As opposed to
In fact, of the tens of millions of gallons of oil that enter North American oceans each year due to human activities, only 8 percent comes from tanker or oil pipeline spills, according to the 2003 book Oil in the Sea III (Transportation Research Board and National Research Council) by the U.S. National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, which is still considered the authority on oil-spill data (Geographic).” Oil ends up in oceans very frequently, and is extremely bad for both marine wildlife and the environment as a
An estimated amount of 206 gallons were let loose in the water.This oil spill has made the records of being one of the largest oil spills that has ever occurred. It happened when an oil well approximately a mile below the surface.blew out. In addition, this caused an explosion on the BP Horizon rig that killed 11 people. Experts made many attempts to stop the oil flow but it took time to reach success. However, every minute passing by is a very crucial one. Within as little as one day 2.5 million gallons were released into the water. The well was capped on July15, 2010. Meaning that the oil leaked for a grand total of 85 days. Resulting in 572 miles of the Gulf Shore being covered in oil. Not to mention the hundreds of animals found and taken into care due to the oil spill. Of course long term effects won’t be able to be further approached until time passes and experts are able to have obtained enough data throughout the years. However, experts have concluded that the damage from this oil spill will not be completely over with until years to come. Still today clumps of oil are being found coming from the shore. The oil is not the only thing to worry about however. Chemicals still remain in the environment and therefore can still affect the nature and can result in a chemical reaction which may be harmful. If parts of the oil are not able to reach oxygen it can just be a big toxic reservoir damaging the environment waiting to cause trouble.The only way to remove things like this is mechanically which only further destroys the habitat. Al in all it is a lose lose
The demand for oil is ever expanding as the world’s energy needs continue to increase resulting in companies striving to meet the demand for oil production. The huge costs of oil importation are what ultimately push the need to tap into our backyard rather than import oil from countries around the world for significantly higher prices. While oil corporations can be credited with providing people minimized costs of products due to their offshore oil drilling efforts. The fact of the matter is that having a cleaner environment is seen as being more vital than having a cheaper product at the cost of an unhealthier environment. Though, many experts agree that the potential risks of offshore oil drilling are often exaggerated, recent disasters such as the British Petroleum (BP) oil spill have proven
The e Deepwater Horizon oil spill at the Macondo well began on April 20, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico on the BP-operated Macondo Prospect. An explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig on 20 April 2010 killed 11 people and caused almost 5 million barrels of oil to flow into the Gulf of Mexico. The spill covered 68,000 square miles of land and sea and triggered a response effort involving the use of nearly 2 million gallons of dispersant chemicals (Pallardy). Considered the largest accidental marine oil spill in history, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DHOS) resulted in widespread environmental and economic damage, the exact nature of which is only beginning to be understood (Shultz 59). This paper will address the causes of this unmitigated ecological disaster and discuss steps that need to be taken to prevent a similar disaster from occurring again.
The oil, released from ruptured pipelines, sunken boats and disabled refineries, along with toxic chemical from industrials plants, bacteria from damaged sewage systems and small amounts of lead and arsenic, flowed into the ground water, drinking water and the Gulf of Mexico. “Crude is the least of the problem,” Dr. Paul Sam Marco, a researcher at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, told the Wall Street Journal. In Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, the storm-flooded fire Superfund site, severely polluted industrial sites scheduled for federal cleanup, releasing some of the nation’s worst toxic materials. In conclusion, to my research, Hurricane Katrina causes several problems to the environment such as the effects to the water system, buildings, pipelines etc. Hurricane Katrina was one of the strongest storms to affect the coast of the United States during the last 100
The BP Oil Spill An Introductory Background - One of the most controversial ecological disasters in recent history focused on multinational British Petroleum and their Gulf of Mexico Operations. The Deepwater Oil Disaster began on April 20, 2010 with an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon Oil platform, killing 11, injuring 17. It was not until July 15th, however, that the leak was stopped by capping the wellhead, after releasing almost 5 million barrels (206 million gallons) of crude oil, or 53,000 barrels per day into the Gulf of Mexico. It was not until September 19th that the relief well process was complete and the U.S. Government, EPA, and Coast Guard agencies declared the well breach effectively stopped (Cavnar, 2010).
Although the accident was caused by a mechanical failure, it spiralled out of control because of an insufficient safety system. BP acted inefficiently and their carelessness cost the lives of people and damaged the environment, nevertheless this does not mean they acted in an unethical way as
“The production manager should control the manufacturing processes so as to eliminate any defective items, identify any weakness that become apparent during production.”(Manuel 2006). BP failed to follow safety regulations as a matter of fact. Right after the spill happened, BP’s diplomat has claimed that there was no one to blame, even the people who worked in the pipe line, their jobs were normally done. If you look for mistakes, you will find some. It was just a freak accident that was not expected from the situation. However, as the investigation went further, more and more evidence has been shown that it was not an accident but negligence. They didn’t do proper testing, for example, BP halted tests on the well lining five days before the explosion and kept oilfield testing firm Schlumberger on standby, according to NOLA. It had no plans to conduct a cement bond log test, which uses Sonics to identify weaknesses in the cement, known as a gold standard test. Also, Oil rig worker Mike Mason told Huffington Post he observed cheating on blowout preventer tests at least 100 times, including on wells owned by BP. In many cases, Mason says, BP employees were present while subcontractors faked the tests. Obviously, the systems failed and failed badly. BP violated the duty of exercising adequate quality controls over high-tech materials which caused the leaking happened. In addition, BP continually disregards safety and morality for profits. They are
Lab, pilot, and field thinks about give direction on the utilization and usage of bioremediation on sandy shorelines, wetlands, and salt swamps. Different ventures show which factors are most critical for scattering of oil into the water section at all temperatures.
An oil spill disaster which happened on 17 May 1993, north of Bombay shore has been discussed in detail in this paper. Study was also conducted to study the aftereffects of oil spill in Mumbai region.
Although the accident was caused by a mechanical failure, it spiralled out of control because of an insufficient safety system. BP acted inefficiently and their carelessness cost the lives of people and damaged the environment, nevertheless this does not mean they acted in an unethical way as they did not knowingly put
This funding would be allocated towards scientific research through the Gulf of Mexico research initiative. The entire purpose of this funding for research is to “ improve society’s ability to understand, respond to and mitigate the potential impacts of oil spills to marine and coastal ecosystems. As at 31 December 2013, the aggregate contribution by BP was $169 million.” (BP p.l.c, 2013, p.38) BP p.l.c is committed to improving life of civilians as the company’s research is going towards society’s needs it helps society to understand, respond and act in such a way to make the situation less problematic than it seems, benefitting everyone in the long run. BP p.l.c has various locations all around the world, in developed and developing countries. (BP p.l.c, BP worldwide). Establishing locations in developing country benefits the society has there will be more employment available, and with more purchasing power of individuals in developing countries, the economic growth in society will increase. BP p.l.c has a strong relation to civil society as the company itself relies on society to help enable daily operations. In addition, the company brings forth research that benefits society that has been affected by oil spill in Gulf of Mexico, helping them understands, respond, and make the situation from disastrous to a little less problematic. Lastly, BP p.l.c brings an
Organisms living at or near the surface are impacted more than others in the area. These organisms include those in intertidal areas, heuston, seabirds, and bottom dwellers. The type of oil spilled influences the extent of damage that is done to the organism.
The world has been affected by many environmental disasters, these events have impacted many of our ecosystems including the lives of many species, as well as human life. Because of past events, economists have learned from mistakes to continue to work on an improved environmental life as well as looking for solutions to improve it. The Deepwater Horizon spill, better knows as the “BP Oil Spill” was an eighty seven oil spill effecting the entire Gulf of Mexico. The oil spill which occurred in 2010 is still the largest accidental oil spill in the history of petroleum industry (CNN). Economists are still working to this day to diminish the severity of the oil spill, and the long-lasting problems that have came with it. Since then prevention became the key component solution to prevent accidental oil pollution. With over 4.2 million barrels being spilled into the Gulf, environmental disasters such as the oil spill make citizens aware of the costliness of the environment that plays hand in hand with an environmental luxury such as oil. The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico and the subsequent oil spill led us to review our marine pollution control policy and to plan ahead to stay prepared for any events that happen in the future. By doing this, oil companies will provide a correct means to strategize, compensate, and prevent oil spills and economical damage that follows.