Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico
The large oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico happened on 20 April 2010 when there was an explosion of methane gas on board the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. The explosion caused the deaths of 10 of the oil workers on board, but most managed to escape the burning platform and seek refuge in the lifeboats. Numerous attempts were made to douse down the flames on board the stricken rig, but efforts were unsuccessful and the rig eventually sank to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico 2 days later.
Shortly after the rig sank, a quickly growing oil slick was noticed on the surface of the water. Subsequent investigations on the ocean floor showed that the well which had been dug by the rig was still flowing with oil, and an estimated 50,000 barrels per day was pouring into the Gulf of Mexico. The slick spread quickly and soon began to affect surrounding coasts. Seabirds were particularly badly affected, and local fishermen were unable to go to sea. Beaches were covered in a thick black blanket, and the tourist industry was heavily affected. Efforts began almost immediately to cap the oil well and stem the flow of oil. This was no easy task as the rig stood in 5,000 feet (1,500 metres) of water. Numerous attempts were made to cap the well, and as each attempt failed the operating company came in for more and more condemnation and criticism from both local residents and the national government. Eventually the attempts to cap the well succeeded, and on 19 September the oil stopped flowing from the sea bed.
The long term effects of the oil spill have been devastating. Wildlife has been severely affected, with the survival of almost 400 species in the area being threatened. Fishermen have lost a considerable amount in earnings and public confidence in the catch has been permanently tarnished. Many tourists cancelled their holidays to the affected areas and it will take some years to see visitor numbers return to pre spill levels. The oil industry is also affected as new guidelines are being drawn up to limit deep water drilling in the hope of preventing similar accidents in the future.
With the advent of new drilling techniques such as HPHT wells there is the constant worry that this sort of event might happen again. It would be devastating, not just from an economic perspective for the drilling company concerned but also from an environmental perspective. HPHT wells have the advantage of extracting oil much more efficiently from the ground, but the benefits always have to be weighed up against the potential risks.