The Fix of the BP Oil Spill of 2010
The BP oil spill posed a difficult problem, and BP struggled to find a fix as multiple attempts failed. As time went on, the well continued to leak 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf for 86 days, and BP became more aggressive with their plans to cover the leak (do something, 2012). In July 2010, BP was able to seal the leak successfully, but a crew of 30,000+ persons were necessary to clean up the mess left (do something, 2012) .
Failed Attempts
After the spill, the initial fix was to repair the damage done to the preventer valve. However, this attempt was unsuccessful and, a third leak was found. In a second attempt to cover the leak, robotic submersibles were able to shut down one of the smaller holes leaking oil into the gulf (Guardian Research, 2010). However, the main goal was to shut down the biggest leak that was releasing the majority of the oil (See fig. 1). The third attempt that BP used was an operation called “top kill.” Top kill was an attempt at sealing the leak with drilling mud. The drilling mud would seal the hole initially, then the leak could be filled with cement and completely closed. This was the most ambitious attempt to close the hole, and its failure was a major setback in fixing the leak (Hanna, 2010). This attempt came at the end of May in 2010, a month before the leak was completely contained by a different solution. After the failure of top kill, BP planned to fill the leak with materials such as tire, rope and golf balls (Kauffman and Krauss, 2010). This method was known as “junk shot”. The hope was that this would slow the flow of oil enough so the pressure on the drilling mud wouldn’t be as a great, which would allow the drilling mud to hold and seal the leak. Unfortunately, this idea did not work, leaving BP engineers with lots of questions on how to fix this devastating problem.
The Solution
After a long three months, the solution that contained the leaks was the addition of a new sealing cap to the oil well. The cap was tighter and sturdier than the cap that broke. Also, BP decided to completely seal the oil well with cement in order to reassure themselves that this disaster would not occur again (AP, 2012). Although the leak had been contained, the damage had already been done to the gulf and the wildlife around it, beginning the long cleanup process (BP, 2010). Over 30,000 people helped clean the beaches and oceans after the spill had been contained (See fig. 2). These efforts went on for three years in an attempt to salvage what remained of the Gulf.
Video: (2:35-7:05) http://bp.concerts.com/gom/sealingcapinstallationanimationwithkentwells070910.htm
(Figure 1) (AP, 2012)
(Figure 2) (Smiljanich, 2010)
ReferencesAssociate Press. "BP accused of lying to government during Gulf oil spill." SF Examiner. Lastmodified July 12, 2010. http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/bp-accused-of-lying-to-government-during-gulf-oilspill/Content?oid=2593932. (Accessed February 14, 2014. ) a. (Figure 1)
Associated Press. "BP oil spill cap design was stolen, Virginia inventor claims." Nola.com. Last modified June 12, 2012. http://www.nola.com/news/gulfoilspill/index.ssf/2012/06/bp_oil_spill_cap_design_was_st.html. (Accessed February 14, 2014.)
BP, ed. “Containing the Leak.” BP.com. Last modified July 2010. http://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/gulf-of-mexico-restoration/deepwater-horizon-accident-and-response/containing-the-leak.html. (Accessed February 13, 2014.)
Do Something, ed. "11 Facts about the BP Oil Spill Recommend." Do Something. Last modified 2012. http://www.dosomething.org/ tipsandtools/11-facts-about-bp-oil-spill. Accessed February 14, 2014.
Guardian Research, ed. “BP oil spill timeline.” The Guardian. Last modified July 22, 2010. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/jun/29/bp-oil-spill-timeline-deepwater-horizon. (Accessed February 13, 2014.)
Hanna, Jason. “How BP’s ‘top kill’ procedure will work.” CNN. Last modified May 24,2010. http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/05/24/faq.top.kill.bp/. (Accessed February 13, 2014.)
Kauffman, Leslie, and Clifford Krauss. “BP Prepares to Take New Tack on Leak After ‘Top Kill’ Fails.” NY Times. Last modified May 29, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/30/us/30spill.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&. (Accessed February 13, 2014.)
Smiljanich, Terry. “Who Pays for the Massive Oil Spill Clean-Up in the Gulf?” Consumer Warning Network. Last modified May 7, 2010. http://www.consumerwarningnetwork.com/2010/05/07/who-pays-for-the-massive-oil-spill-clean-up-in-the-gulf/. (Accessed February 14, 2014.) a. (Figure 2)
Wells, Kent. “Sealing Cap Installation Animation.” BP.concerts.com. Video file, (2:35-7:05).July 9, 2010. http://bp.concerts.com/gom/sealingcapinstallationanimationwithkentwells070910.htm (Accessed February 13, 2014.)
