Essay Sample on BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster: Decision-Making and Impacts

Introduction

The 2010 BP and the Deepwater Horizon Disaster occurred as a result of a series of decision and events which involved BP employees and the contractors (Ingersoll et al. 234). Although clear cause or a main culprit of the disaster cannot be justified, the accident explored many issues of decision-making, organization, information, and the ability of people to voice their values as the leading cause of the case. However, the Gulf of Mexico's oil spill and blowout on the Deepwater Horizon were the cause of the disaster after the failure of the by the mansions to use cement between the protective casing and the production casing which links the pipeline. This paper focuses on examining the BP and the Deepwater Horizon Disaster of 2010 as well as the causes and effects of the disaster among the Mexican. It captures the cleanup efforts that were put in place as well as the legal actions which are pertinent in decision making about the case such as charges, penalties and settlement, the civil trial and the charges against individuals.

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Causes of the DeepWater Explosion

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is regarded as the most massive marine oil spill ever evident in the history of the world. The explosion of the natural gas through a concrete core which was installed by the Halliburton contractor to seal the well for future use exposes the Horizon rig to be weak. Similarly, the cores were also fragile to hold the pressure that was being generated by the concrete mixtures, which uses nitrogen gas as a means of accelerating curing. The release which was associated with fracture of the core exposes the natural gas to raise higher the rig riser of the Deepwater to the platform causing ignition, which led to approximately eleven workers dead while seventeen injured. In the morning of April 22, the rig was seen capsizing and later sank leading to the rupture of the riser which was holding the drilling mud to manage the upward pressure of the natural gas and the oil. With little opposing force to block the aftermath, the oil began to spill into the gulf at a slower pace, which was increasing gradually. According to BP, the quantity of the oil which escaped the damaged well was approximately one thousand barrels each day, although it is continuing to rise as the pressure increases.

The attempts by the BP to activate the blowout preventer (BOP) of the rig through a fail-safe approach which is designed to ensure that the channel is closed especially at the point where the oil was drawn failed terribly due to valve failure. However, the device malfunctioned forcing the BOP forensic analysis to take one year in attempts to set large blades for slicing the oil pipes which have also malfunctioned due to the pressure of the rising oil and gas which had made most of the pipes to bend. Several efforts which were later deployed to place containment over the broken riser which was over the largest leak were thwarted by the buoyant actions from the gas hydrates. Similarly, the attempts to use a top kill method, which involves pumping the drilled mud into the well to stop the oil from flowing also adversely failed to force BP to turn into use of other apparatus to rationalize the situation which was becoming unmanageable.

Moreover, the failure of the failures which led to the Gulf oil to spill eventual explosion, destroying the Deepwater Horizon drilling was caused by the dodgy cement which was at the borehole bottom but failed to create a concrete seal allowing gas and oil to start leaking up to the surface through the pipe. According to BP, they argued that the cement was useful enough for its job. The valve failure also allowed the oil and the gas upward to the surface, exposing the content to massive test. However, the misinterpretation of the pressure was vital because accuracy was necessary to ensure concrete sealing and any missing up exposes the oil to leak. As the leaking continues with little concern, especially due to the failure of valve two, the mixture became too concentrated and quickly exploded, leading to loss of many lives as others succumb to injuries.

Clean up Efforts

Cleaning petroleum and oil that leaked from the well before it was sealed a total of two million dispersants gallons were used for more natural bacteria metabolism. They were directly pumped into the leak with the slick subjected to aerial application. The carol portion booms which were on the slicks were also deployed before the contained oil is burned. However, all the oils that were trying to contaminate Louisiana beaches were also manually removed, though the process looked a bit strenuous among the BP (Ingersoll et al. 213). Most of the cleanup efforts were conducted National Resource Team which is headed by the Environmental Protection Agency. However, BP and other companies were held responsible for the cost accrued during the cleanup process.

Conversely, most of the products that were used in cleaning up the Gulf made things worse. For instance, the chemical dispersant retarded the growth of oil-eating bacteria which were present in water (Lee, Matthew and Troy 26). The substance was supposed to be used in assisting these bacteria in making massive cleaning of the largest oil spills which were realized in the marine bodies but instead slowed their growth, making them inactive and functionless. Similarly, marine animals were also killed as the substance barred oxygen from reaching them.

Aftermath and Impact of the Deepwater Horizon Disaster

The spill affected many industries which the people depended on leading to the deterioration of the Gulf Coast states economic prospects. Most of the Gulf's federal waters were closed to fishing, especially at the spill peak because of the contamination fears. Similarly, the moratorium on the offshore drilling left several people jobless as the new technique was faster and convenient as compared to the workforce. Many travelers were also forced to abandon the petroleum-sullied beaches subjecting those who depended on tourism as a source of livelihood struggling to make ends meet with the little income they were earning (Ingersoll et al. 147). The BP was forced to create an account for billions of dollars as compensation to fund all the victims of the disaster. This surfaced after president Barrack Obama insisted that adequate funding and compensation must be given to the disaster victims. As a result, it took the government approximately one year to ensure that the BP has made the all the funding and compensation.

Similarly, recovery was very incremental. For instance, fishing started as most parts of the gulf began reopening due to the dispersal of the oil with the safety of such places adequately addressed. The disaster forced the government in conjunction with the BP to the newly scrubbed beaches with the money collected from the compensation process, Oil continued to clean the shore across several parts with much of it could easily be removed due to logistical reasons or to rationalize its harm on the ecosystem (Joye 593). The domestic oil production was increased after the moratorium drilling was lifted for a year to ensure that all the waste and drainages are carefully addressed and explicit approach used to harmonies the situation. However, BP chief executive who acted as the oil giant's public face further inflamed the sentiment of the public on the embattled company leading to massive loss of meaningful reputations which the franchise ought to have enjoyed (Ingersoll et al. 234). A lot of dollars were wasted as the conflicting parties try to create an excellent relationship between the cleanup cost and the cost of recovery.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster was triggered by the blowout after the failure of the crucial parts of the drilling rig. The high pressure which was obtained from form methane onto the rig led to its explosion. The explosion led to the loss of lives; employment causes injuries, as well as the deterioration of the economy as people who depended on beaches, were rendered jobless. However, after the disaster, a new BP resurfaced to compensate the victims of the explosion as well as other offshore drilling was introduced to maxing cleanups. For instance, in cleaning the offshore, chemical dispersant was used, although, to some extent, it was harmful to the life of bacteria that were useful in the cleaning process. Overall, the Deepwater Horizon and BP awaken Mexican, and they remained motivated to ensure explicit safety at the shores.

Works Cited

Ingersoll, Christina, Richard M. Locke, and Cate Reavis. "BP and the Deepwater Horizon Disaster of 2010." MIT Sloan School of Management, Case Study, (2012).

Lee, Matthew R., and Troy C. Blanchard. "Community Attachment and Negative Affective States in the Context of the BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster." American Behavioral Scientist 56.1 (2012): 24-47.

Joye, Samantha B. "Deepwater Horizon, Five Years On." Science349.6248 (2015): 592-593.