From Moratorium to 10 Rigs—BP in the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico 2010 to 2015

Abstract

“On the evening of April 20, 2010, a well control event allowed hydrocarbons to escape from the Macondo well onto Transocean's Deepwater Horizon, resulting in explosions and fire on the rig. Eleven people lost their lives, and 17 others were injured. The fire, which was fed by hydrocarbons from the well, continued for 36 hours until the rig sank. Hydrocarbons continued to flow from the reservoir through the wellbore and the blowout preventer (BOP) for 87 days, causing a spill of national significance.”—Deepwater Horizon Accident Investigation Report.

Everyone at BP deeply regrets what happened and the impact the accident has had on the communities and families involved. We remain committed to continuing to develop capabilities and practices to further enhance safety in order to help prevent this type of accident from happening again. We are also committed to sharing the lessons we learned, and the progress we have made since then with our colleagues and the public. In September of 2010, BP published the results of an internal investigation in what is known as the Bly report. Following this, BP launched 40 projects to address the 26 recommendations from this report and to rebuild trust among all of our stakeholders. Additionally, BP committed to the U.S. government to exceed regulatory standards in operating our rigs.

In August of 2011, BP spud our first new well since the accident. Entering 2015, BP has 10 rigs operating in the Gulf of Mexico, more than at any time in our company's history. At first, the rigs experienced significant lost time due to equipment repairs. But that, along with formation related non-productive time, has been steadily decreasing. Since 2011, BP has successfully drilled 20 new wells and has made important technology breakthroughs on our some of our most challenging wells.

AAPG Datapages/Search and Discovery Article #90219 © 2015 GCAGS, Houston, Texas, September 20-22, 2015