The explosion and sinking of the D.H. oil rig

A Wall Street Journal investigation provides the most complete account so far of the fateful decisions that preceded the blast. BP made choices over the course of the project that rendered this well more vulnerable to the blowout, which unleashed a spew of crude oil that engineers are struggling to stanch.

BP, for instance, cut short a procedure involving drilling fluid that is designed to detect gas in the well and remove it before it becomes a problem, according to documents belonging to BP and to the drilling rig's owner and operator, Transocean Ltd.

BP also skipped a quality test of the cement around the pipe—another buffer against gas—despite what BP now says were signs of problems with the cement job and despite a warning from cement contractor Halliburton Co.

Once gas was rising, the design and procedures BP had chosen for the well likely gave this perilous gas an easier path up and out, say well-control experts। There was little keeping the gas from rushing up to the surface after workers, pushing to finish the job, removed a critical safeguard, the heavy drilling fluid known as "mud." BP has admitted a possible "fundamental mistake" in concluding that it was safe to proceed with mud removal, according to a memo from two Congressmen released Tuesday night.

Finally, a BP manager overseeing final well tests apparently had scant experience in deep-water drilling. He told investigators he was on the rig to "learn about deep water," according to notes of an interview with him seen by the Journal.

Some of these decisions were approved by the U.S. Interior Department's Minerals Management Service, which has come under fire for what President Obama has called its "cozy relationship" with the oil industry. But in at least one case, the decision made apparently diverged from a plan MMS approved. MMS declined to comment.

Some of BP's choices allowed it to minimize costly delays. "We were behind schedule already," said Tyrone Benton, a technician who operated underwater robots and worked for a subcontractor. He said that on the day before the accident, a Monday, managers "hoped we'd be finished by that Friday.... But it seemed like they were pushing to finish it before Friday."

He added: "They were doing too many jobs at one time।" Mr. Benton is suing BP and Transocean claiming physical injury and mental anguish.

BP started again in January, this time with Transocean's Deepwater Horizon, a warhorse rig that had worked for BP for years. BP filed a new drilling permit with federal regulators.

According to a company document seen by the Journal, BP approved spending $96.2 million and about 78 days on the well. The target time was much less—about 51 days. By April 20, the well was in its 80th day, owing to delays such as one that had begun on March 8.

That day, workers discovered that gas was seeping into the well, according to drilling reports from the rig reviewed by the Journal. Workers lowered a measuring device to determine what was happening, but when they tried to pull it back up, it wouldn't budge. Engineers eventually told them to plug the last 2,000 feet of the then-13,000-foot hole with cement and continue the well by drilling off in a different direction.

The episode took days to resolve, according to drilling reports, not counting time lost to backtracking and re-drilling. Each additional day cost BP $1 million in rig lease and contractor fees.

Other problems arose। The rock was so brittle in places that drilling mud cracked it open and escaped. One person familiar with the matter estimates BP lost at least $15 million worth of the fluid.

About 9:45, the seawater and remaining mud began to head back up the pipe. Witnesses say they saw mud shooting out of the derrick like water from a firehose. A worker on the rig floor made a frantic call to BP's Mr. Vidrine, who had gone to his office, according to his interview with the Coast Guard.

Transocean workers raced to tame the well. Nothing worked. This was no ordinary gas kick. It was far more ferocious.

Workers rushed to hit the emergency button to activate the blowout preventer's clamps and detach the rig from the well, according to witness accounts. They were too late. Gas flowing out found an ignition source, and an explosion rocked the rig.

“Top-Kill” Attempt to Stop Gulf Leak

Wednesday’s attempt by BP to plug the oil leak bringing so much destruction to the Gulf of Mexico has stopped the flow, according to a statement this morning from U.S. Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen.

The procedure, known as “top kill” began @ 2:00 PM Eastern time on Wednesday, and involved injecting up to 50,000 barrels of a dense, heavy mixture of clay and chemicals (known as “drilling mud”) into the 5-story blowout-preventer and down the 13,000 foot drill pipe.

The technique, which has proven successful on land but never at depths of 5,000 feet, relies on the weight of the mud to work its way down the drill pipe, which extends another 2.5 miles beneath the sea floor. After the mud has displaced the oil in the pipe, it is supposed to form a plug heavy enough to counter the pressure that has been forcing oil and gas from the reservoir below.

Throughout the night, underwater video from remote submersibles showed a brown plume of mud where previously, plumes of white (natural gas) and black (crude oil) had been escaping.

Throughout the day today, engineers are expected to gradually reduce the pressure and amount of mud being pumped into the well to verify that the plug is holding. If it holds, concrete will then be pumped into the well to form a more stable plug that should last until two separate, pressure relief wells can be completed in August.

Over the past week, a clearer picture of the scope of the disaster and the damage it’s caused has begun to emerge. Video from the source of the leak showed a flow that far exceeded official estimates. Gigantic plumes of oil and chemical dispersant were found deep beneath the surface, divers filmed the toxic soup at shallower depths, and sludge has polluted approximately 100 miles of Louisiana coastline.

For coastal residents, businesses and ecosystems, the situation has become desperate. Acknowledging from the outset that the top-kill procedure had only a 60-70 percent chance of success, BP and government officials have cautioned against becoming overly optimistic. However, the general opinion seems to be that the longer BP is able to stick with the plan, the better the chance that it will ultimately succeed.

We can only hope. The damage that has already been done is likely to last for a decade or more.

Oil reaches Louisiana shores !

Over one month after the initial explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, crude oil continues to flow into the Gulf of Mexico, and oil slicks have slowly reached as far as 12 miles into Louisiana's marshes. According to Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, more than 65 miles of Louisiana's shoreline has now been oiled. BP said it will be at least Wednesday before they will try using heavy mud and cement to plug the leak, a maneuver called a "top kill" that represents their best hope of stopping the oil after several failed attempts. Based on low estimates, at least 6 million gallons of crude have spewed into the Gulf so far - though some scientists have said they believe the spill already surpasses the 11 million-gallon 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off Alaska as the worst in U.S. history.

Rachel Carson, Ecology Hero

Yesterday marked the 103rd anniversary of the birth of Rachel Carson, author of “Silent Spring” and widely credited with inspiring the modern environmental movement. In honor of her ground-breaking work, we’re pleased to republish an article about Ms. Carson, written by Linda Engelsiepen

Rachel Carson: Giving Nature a Voice

This wasn’t the case in the early 1960’s, when Rachel Carson’s notable and influential book, “Silent Spring,” was first published. Released under a cloud of scrutiny and skepticism, Carson’s brave book shone a spotlight on the damage caused by the indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides, a practice promoted by the U.S. government through the policies of its Department of Agriculture.

Carson’s rare ability to combine scientific fact with poetic language reached the hearts and minds of a lay audience. Her readers’ eyes were opened not only to the beauty of nature and the tragedies of its ruin, but the travesty that this destruction was being carried out by forces supposedly acting for our own good. The result of Carson’s tour-de-force was ultimately a new public mindset: that the health of our environment directly affected us, and that we’d better take a stand to protect it or we would all suffer the consequences.

The ethos of post World War II America was that scientists were infallible, chemicals were our friends, and the government’s guiding purpose was the health and safety of its citizens. Regulation of the use of insecticides was the responsibility of the Department of Agriculture – which also happened to be arguably their greatest beneficiary. The Environmental Protection Agency did not yet exist, and “conservation” and “ecology” were rarely used terms.

It was in the midst of this social climate that Rachel Carson provided a passionate, poetic argument for questioning the status quo. Toxic chemicals where being indiscriminately dispersed in the name of progress, without regard to the effects they might have on our environment and the creatures populating it – including ourselves. Rachel Carson envisioned a time when “birds had disappeared and the spring was silent,” and gave a voice to those who could not speak for themselves. Carson awakened the broader American public to concerns that had chiefly only been expressed only by a segment of the population regarded by some to be “bunny huggers” or “members of a ‘cult of the balance of nature’.” Carson was attacked, challenged and questioned, yet she stood in the face of the storm and turned its tide. What inspired such a quiet, unassuming woman to speak out against forces that seemed stronger than nature?

Ecology Heroine

Heroes commit feats of courage involving risk or sacrifice, and which have a nobility of purpose. Rachel Carson died of cancer in 1964, two years after the publication of “Silent Spring.” She might not have lived to see the full effects of her influence, but she had a good feeling that she might have opened some peoples’ eyes. She certainly paved the way for future women scientists. But perhaps her most enduring legacy is the notion that one voice, no matter how small and quiet, could speak volumes and open the eyes of millions.

Rachel Carson’s unique combination of intellect, talent and courage helped to birth future generations of nature-lovers. She was the mother of a movement that made it “cool” to be green. Business and governments in the twenty-first century have come a long way towards environmental responsibility, but the consumer and the bottom line still rule. It will require vigilance and passion to defend the health of our planet and ourselves, and it will take heroes like Rachel Carson to protect our futures.

Interview with Marcel Woods

18/05/2010 11:22:35 - Dutch born Marcel Woods is a leading trance jock who spins at places like Dance Valley every year. In 2006 Woods produced a huge hit Advanced which became, with the help of DJ Tiësto, one of the anthems of that year. He has produced many singles under the pseudonym Mr. Rowan and headlines the huge dance event that is to be Dance Crusade festival on 30th May. We had a quick chat with him to find you more…

How would you describe the sound of Marcel Woods?

As raw, energetic and hard to pigeonhole!

How do you want to make people feel when you DJ for them?

That they have a great time out, and that they hear music that dares to surprise, and will leave them hungry for more! And that I reach a certain awareness that they never ever label music again! It’s just about good music you dance and listen to, it’s not about categorizing it.

What is it about machines vs real instruments that excites you?

Euh?! That I can work with machines, but not with the real live stuff sadly enough

How do you keep ahead of the curve in terms of the music you make?

I just do what I want, so sometimes it gets there quick, sometimes slow. Sometimes people like it, sometimes they maybe don’t. But if I like it myself, I’m happy enough. So it’s all about my own taste and the direction I’m heading for. I like to challenge myself in the studio exploring new techniques and sounds.

What are your current top 3 tracks?

These three are the ones that are truly rocking my set right now!
Marcel Woods - The Bottle
Jonas Stenberg - Trademark
DaDalife - Cookies with a smile

And what can people expect from your set at Dance Crusade?

Some good music straight from the heart!

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m currently working on my first artist album, and it’s getting there I hope…. Ha ha! Has been a long road trying to get this album completed to the time schedule I set myself but all the long hours will be worth it. At this stage in the production I am really happy with the state of the album and where its heading musically, still a long way to go though. I am also about to launch Volume 2 of Musical Madness compilation series, which is out on June 4th on High Contrast records. I will also be following the launch up by embarking on a world tour to promote the album throughout the summer. Check out MySpace for tour dates: www.myspace.com/marcelwoods