Oil Spill

[tw]

Originally Posted by classicman

Wasn't there an employee, a manager I believe, who gave an interview early on saying that pieces of rubber or some such were coming out that morning?

Testimony was from the joint Coast Guard / MMS investigation in Kenner LA. Numerous employees who were there (and still alive) testified that rubber was found in the mud pits - where mud coming up from the well was collected.

In that same testimony, the BOP failed its test when pressure was at the required numbers. It only passed when pressure was increased (to 1600 psi?). And then the tech said he restored regulators back to the required pressures after that test.

We will be learning (in Congressional testimony starting today) that subverting and ignoring routine safety procedures in the name of cost reductions was routine especially in the past decade. Was all but encouraged when government pressured the oil industry to seek domestic oil sources in deeper water in the name of a mythical 'energy independence'. Attitude that encouraged failures came from the highest levels of corporation management where 85% of all problems originate.