Deepwater Horizon oil spill

Deepwater Horizon oil spill, largest marine oil spill in history, caused by an April 20,
2010, explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig—located in the Gulf of Mexico,
approximately 41 miles (66 km) off the coast of Louisiana—and its subsequent sinking on
April 22.

The explosion

Observe fireboat responding to crews battling the fire during the Deepwater Horizon oil
spill of 2010

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The Deepwater Horizon rig, owned and operated by offshore-oil-drilling

company Transocean and leased by oil company BP, was situated in the Macondo oil
prospect in the Mississippi Canyon, a valley in the continental shelf. The oil well over
which it was positioned was located on the seabed 4,993 feet (1,522 metres) below
the surface and extended approximately 18,000 feet (5,486 metres) into the rock. On
the night of April 20 a surge of natural gas blasted through a concrete core recently
installed by contractor Halliburton in order to seal the well for later use. It later
emerged through documents released by Wikileaks that a similar incident had
occurred on a BP-owned rig in the Caspian Sea in September 2008. Both cores were
likely too weak to withstand the pressure because they were composed of
a concrete mixture that used nitrogen gas to accelerate curing.

Once released by the fracture of the core, the natural gas traveled up the Deepwater
rig’s riser to the platform, where it ignited, killing 11 workers and injuring 17. The rig
capsized and sank on the morning of April 22, rupturing the riser, through
which drilling mud had been injected in order to counteract the upward pressure of
oil and natural gas. Without any opposing force, oil began to discharge into the gulf.
The volume of oil escaping the damaged well—originally estimated by BP to be about
1,000 barrels per day—was thought by U.S. government officials to have peaked at
more than 60,000 barrels per day.

Leaking oil
 EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill constituted an ecosystem-level injury in the northern Gulf of
Mexico. Much oil spread at 1100–1300 m depth, contaminating and affecting deepwater
habitats. Factors such as oil-biodegradation, ocean currents and response measures
(dispersants, burning) reduced coastal oiling. Still, > 2100 km of shoreline and many coastal
habitats were affected. Research demonstrates that oiling caused a wide range of biological
effects, although worst-case impact scenarios did not materialize. Biomarkers in individual
organisms were more informative about oiling stress than population and community
indices. Salt marshes and seabird populations were hard hit, but were also quite resilient to
oiling effects. Monitoring demonstrated little contamination of seafood. Certain impacts are
still understudied, such as effects on seagrass communities. Concerns of long-term impacts
remain for large fish species, deep-sea corals, sea turtles and cetaceans. These species and
their habitats should continue to receive attention (monitoring and research) for years to
come.

3 Major Areas of Impact After Deepwater Horizon Spill

Effect on marine life
PAH, or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, is a chemical that is carcinogenic in high
concentrations and can interfere with biological processes. PAH was found up to 8 miles from
the wreckage site and was later found to be causing cardiac arrest in fish. Additionally, pockets
of methane led to oxygen-starved zones, which caused marine life to smother. Large numbers of
fish kills in the area were reported.

Prior to the spill, only about 0.1% of fish in the Gulf of Mexico had lesions or sores. In the
aftermath of the spill, that number spiked to 20%.

Pregnant dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico were found to have a higher incidence of in-utero
infections, fetal issues, and late-term pregnancy failures. In fact, in the 6 years following the spill,
over 170 stillborn and stranded juvenile dolphins have been found in Gulf waters, according to
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Effect on birds
Effects were not limited to species who made their home in the water. According to the Audubon
Society, over 1 million birds died as a result of the disaster. Oil inhibits birds' ability to maintain
body warmth, and many were found on shore still alive and seeking shelter.

Groundwater impact
Experts theorize that the use of dispersants after the spill caused the oil to sink even more
deeply into beaches. They also suspect that it may have affected the groundwater supply in that
area.

Cleanup
It took nearly 3 months for the oil leak to be fully capped before the cleanup effort could
commence. Some 48,000 people were hired to assist with the cleanup, and all were required to
complete HAZWOPER training classes in advance.

Those working on marine vessels underwent a 40-hour HAZWOPER training course and many
also took an 8-hour supervisor course as well. Training consisted of both site-specific and
classroom modules.
 DEEPWATER HORIZON -THE MOVIE

https://youtu.be/S-UPJyEHmM0?si=cTSUJdn0bEfz_ta5

The film ends with a series of clips showing the aftermath of the disaster, including
testimony from the real-life Mike Williams and the revelation that Donald Vidrine
and Robert Kaluza were the only two people prosecuted for their actions; both were
charged with eleven counts of manslaughter. By 2015 these charges were dismissed.
Pictures appear of the eleven men who lost their lives before the credits. The movie
postscript reads: "The blowout lasted for 87 days, spilling an estimated 210 million
gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. It was the worst oil disaster in U.S. history