Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Observations

On April 20, 2010 the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, killing 11 platform  workers and injuring 17 others. On July 15, the leak was largely stopped by capping the gushing oil wellhead. The drilling of relief wells to permanently close the well is ongoing.

The quasi-official Flow Rate Technical Group estimated the oil well was leaking 35,000 to 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day. This volume is approximately equal to the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill every four to seven days. The exact flow rate is uncertain due to the difficulty of installing measurement devices at that depth and remains a matter of debate. The resulting oil slick covered at least 2,500 square miles, fluctuating daily depending on weather conditions. Scientists have also reported immense underwater plumes of dissolved oil not visible at the surface.

The spill continues to cause extensive damage to marine and wildlife habitats as well as the Gulf's fishing and tourism industries. Crews have been working to protect hundreds of miles of beaches, wetlands and estuaries along the northern Gulf coast, using skimmer ships, floating containment booms, anchored barriers, and sand-filled barricades along shorelines.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What strikes me about this article from Wikipedia, as well as other articles I’ve researched, is how imprecise the information remains even today. What made BP confident in drilling for oil at such depths, endangering lives of unsuspecting workers? Why did officials in this country let them? All of a sudden everything is iffy. There are no clear answers. What does  BP tell the families of the fallen workers? Did anyone think to ask BP what experience they had drilling at such depths? Well, at least Tony Hayward has his life back. I hope he enjoys Siberia, where BP apparently sent him. He can always wave back to Sarah Palin as she waves from her kitchen window in Wasilla.