Deepwater

Horizon
drilling rig
in Gulf of Mexico

Drilling rig = Large structure with equipment for drilling an oil well.

Introduction
February 2010
Macondo exploratory well started drilling
April 2010
Were preparing to temporarily abandon Macondo
Rig unexpectedly exploded with leaking
hydrocarbon gas
Fire burned for 36 hours before rig sank
September 2010
Rig finally sealed

Explosion of Deepwater Horizon drilling rig

Consequenc
Killing 11es
crews.
Estimated 200 million gallons of oil spilled in
Gulf of Mexico
Extensive damage to marine wildlife

Clotted oil floating on the surface 9 miles from Macondo

Failures that causes oil

spill
Unreliable cement The borehole
wasnt sealed
Malfunctioning of valve Gas and oil
traveled up the pipe
Data misinterpreted Misinterpreted
of the results of tests carried out
Unconcerned Conditions of the well
wasnt checked by the crew time to
time

Failures that causes oil

spill
Blowout preventer failure device
wasnt functioning well
Wrong decision overwhelmed
separator
Alarm failed Alarm and ventilation
fans wasnt triggered
Malfunctioning safety mechanism
Blowout preventer no battery and
defective switch

Preventio
ns
Well casings
Centralizers are placed around the
casing sections before they are
lowered into the casing.
Cement is injected in the space
between the bottom of the new
casing section and the bottom of the
casing.
The cement flows up around the
outside of the casing, replacing the
mud in that space with pure,
uncontaminated cement.
Cement is held perfectly still for
several hours while it solidifies.

Preventio
ns

Primary safety control - The rig's blowout preventer

had a hydraulic leak and a faulty battery and thus,
failed.
Rig crew's mistake - The workers should have
consulted the visiting engineers on the faulty test
results of a critical negative pressure test on the rig.
Technology development - There was a lack of
equipment and procedures for high-pressure remote
operations.
Cost cutting - Instead of a continuous set of threaded
casing pipes from the wellhead down to the bottoms of
its well, a better alternative would have a "liner"
design.

Comparison of the wells lining

Reference
s

McAlexander, S., n.d.. Engineering Disasters: Applying Lessons Learned form Failure. [Online]
Available at: http://www.carolina.com/teacher-resources/Interactive/engineering-disasters-applying-lessons-learnedfrom-failure/tr23605.tr
[Accessed 9 October 2015].
Mullins, J., 2010. The eight failures that caused the Gulf oil spill. [Online]
Available at: https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19425-the-eight-failures-that-caused-the-gulf-oil-spill/
[Accessed 9 October 2015].
Thompson, P., 2013. BP could be saved hundreds of millions of pounds over Gulf of Mexico oil spill after U.S. court
stops bogus or inflated payments. [Online]
Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2442576/BP-wins-Gulf-Mexico-oil-spill-compensation-courtbattle.html
[Accessed 9 October 2015].
Young, E. &., 2014. Deepwater Horizon accident and response. [Online]
Available at: http://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/gulf-of-mexico-restoration/deepwater-horizon-accident-andresponse.html
[Accessed 9 October 2015].
SUBJECT WIKI for casing (2015) [Online]
Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casing_(borehole)
[Accessed: 10 Oct 2015]
Fairley, P., 2010. How to Prevent Deepwater Spills. [Online]
Available at: http://www.technologyreview.com/news/419328/how-to-prevent-deepwater-spills/
[Accessed 10 October 2015].
Reuters, T., 2011. Gulf Oil Spill Could Have Been Prevented By Who Weren't Consulted: Report. [Online]
Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/17/oil-spill-could-have-been_n_824647.html
[Accessed 10 Octover 2015].