Biggest U.S Oil Spill At Sea

This April marks 15 years since the Biggest U.S. oil Spill At Sea and the largest in the petroleum industry’s history. The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, or the BP Oil Spill, was a catastrophic event that occurred in the Gulf of America in 2010, and its environmental consequences are still felt today.

The oil spill originated from the Macondo Prospect situated in the Mississippi Canyon Block 252, around 70 km off the Louisiana Coast in the Gulf of America. 

The biggest U.S oil spill disaster happened on April 20, 2010, after a blowout and explosion on the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig, which was operated by Transocean under a contract for BP. The incident caused 11 deaths and injured 17 people.

The spill continued for around 4 months and 29 days and lasted until September 19, 2010, when the well was sealed. 

Causes of the Biggest U.S Oil Spill

The main reason for the disaster was a wellhead blowout, which was the result of the failure of the cement barrier that was supposed to seal the well. The cement job was also faulty, leading to the hydrocarbons to flow up the wellbore.

Many other systems also failed, which contributed to this deadly oil spill, the worst in U.S. history.

• Failure of the mechanical valve, which allowed oil and gas to travel up the pipe. 
• Inability to identify leaks early, even when there were pressure anomalies.
• Misinterpretation of the pressure tests led the crew members to believe the well was secure.
• The failure of the blowout preventer to close, due to a flat battery and a defective switch.
• Failure of the gas detection system, which did not trigger the alarms or shut down the ventilation fans.
• An overwhelmed mud-gas separator, which allowed the flammable gas to engulf the rig.

These were accompanied by poor risk management, plan changes and improper emergency response training.

Impact of the Biggest U.S Oil Spill

Per government estimates, around 4.9 million barrels of oil went into the gulf, spanning 2500 to 68,000 square miles. 

The oil spill wreaked havoc on the marine and coastal environment. It affected more than 8300 species of fish, sea turtles, marine mammals, birds, molluscs, sea turtles and crustaceans.

Many marine life were suffocated to death as methane released with the oil led to the formation of dead zones with no oxygen.

Additionally, exposure to toxins caused cardiac arrest and deformities in fish like amberjack and bluefin tuna.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and carcinogenic compounds were found at concentrations up to 40 times higher than normal close to the coast of Louisiana.

More than a million birds died, and a thousand marine mammals were covered in oil. The oil sank to the ocean bed and damaged deep-sea corals and benthic habitats as well.

Economic Consequences

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill disrupted the region’s economy, especially tourism and fisheries were badly affected. 

Several businesses were shut, and commercial and recreational fishing were closed.

Mississippi seafood and marine-related businesses experienced a 50% decline in annual sales and a 33% reduction in employment in 2010 compared to 2009.

Not only were the local households impacted, but the entire communities, especially those living on or near the coast and dependent on natural resources, especially seafood, for their livelihoods.

The Aftermath

The U.S. Department of Justice filed over 130 criminal and civil lawsuits against BP, Transocean and Halliburton for violations under the Clean Water Act.

BP had to face the claims of gross negligence and willful misconduct that led to penalties and punitive damages. 

To date, BP’s cost for the clean-up efforts, environmental and economic damages has reached around $54 billion.

The litigation involved several consolidated cases of businesses affected by the spill, those injured in the clean-up and those who suffered from medical conditions as a result of the spill. 

Cleanup and Remediation

Cleanup efforts were taken and involved burning, skimming and use of chemical dispersants, with about 5% of the oil burned and 3% skimmed. Around 1.4 million gallons of dispersants were used for breaking down the oil.

Physical barriers like floating booms, skimmer boats and sorbents were used to contain the spill.

Massive response operations involving tens of thousands of personnel, ships and aircraft were undertaken by the U.S. Coast Guard in coordination with BP.

In 2014, BP said that the coastal cleanup was almost complete, although monitoring and testing of affected areas continued.

Concerns were raised about the chemical dispersants used in cleanup, but they were deemed by the EPA to pose minimal risk of cancer to residents and workers.

Conclusion

NOAA was on the site and guided emergency response and environmental assessment efforts. It has continued to work for restoring the Gulf for the last 15 years, and improve preparedness to handle future incidents.

Nonetheless, the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill is a stark example of the risks associated with oil drilling, showing how system failures and poor management could lead to the worst disasters. The environmental, economic and legal consequences of this case influenced offshore drilling policies.

You might also like to read-

• The Gruesome Amoco Cadiz Oil Spill Incident
• The Complete Story Of The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
• 15 Major Oil Spills Of The Maritime World

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