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Warning signs preceded oil rig explosion
WASHINGTON, (UPI) -- Several warning signs indicated there was a problem on the Deepwater Horizon in the hours before the oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, officials said.
After getting a briefing from executives of energy giant BP, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce said Tuesday a BP memorandum provides something of a timeline for the events of April 20, when the rig exploded, killing 11 workers and setting off a deepwater gusher that has spewed an undetermined amount of oil into the gulf and onto the shores of gulf states, The New York Times reported.
The committee said Tuesday pressure readings before the explosion indicated gas was getting into the well, suggesting the possibility of a blowout. The BP memo noted investigators found that a decision to swap out seawater for heavy mud in the pipe from the seabed led to a greater risk of explosion, the Times reported.
The information comes for the most part from BP, the newspaper said. The company has traded charges of responsibility for the blast with Transocean and Halliburton, which also had roles in the operation of Deepwater Horizon.
The report said other red flags included a suggestion that a seal on the well may have failed, permitting gas to escape in the well. There were indications of possible problems 5 hours before the explosion with a piece of equipment called a blowout preventer, the Times reported.
Less than one hour before the explosion, there were further indications the well was getting out of control, the BP memo concluded.
WASHINGTON, (UPI) -- Several warning signs indicated there was a problem on the Deepwater Horizon in the hours before the oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, officials said.
After getting a briefing from executives of energy giant BP, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce said Tuesday a BP memorandum provides something of a timeline for the events of April 20, when the rig exploded, killing 11 workers and setting off a deepwater gusher that has spewed an undetermined amount of oil into the gulf and onto the shores of gulf states, The New York Times reported.
The committee said Tuesday pressure readings before the explosion indicated gas was getting into the well, suggesting the possibility of a blowout. The BP memo noted investigators found that a decision to swap out seawater for heavy mud in the pipe from the seabed led to a greater risk of explosion, the Times reported.
The information comes for the most part from BP, the newspaper said. The company has traded charges of responsibility for the blast with Transocean and Halliburton, which also had roles in the operation of Deepwater Horizon.
The report said other red flags included a suggestion that a seal on the well may have failed, permitting gas to escape in the well. There were indications of possible problems 5 hours before the explosion with a piece of equipment called a blowout preventer, the Times reported.
Less than one hour before the explosion, there were further indications the well was getting out of control, the BP memo concluded.