The BP Gulf Oil spill is the largest marine oil spill in the history of the Petroleum Industry. The spill lasted for 87 days resulting in a conservative estimate of 3.19 Million Barrels or 134 Million Gallons of petroleum into the gulf of Mexico. Leading to over 1300 miles of oiled shoreline and 43,000 mile oil slick on the oceans surface. Not to mention the millions of gallons of oil dispersed under the water. 

The breakout began with the explosion of the Deepwater Horizons Oil Drilling Platform. Leading to the deaths of 11 crewmen and the injury of 17 serious injuries. 

Because of the chaos of the disaster and the subsequent fumbled clean up effort. The exact circumstances of the explosion are a bit foggy but what we do know paints a picture of bad management, poor decision making, faulty equipment and materials, and a general sense of recklessness and need for cost cutting. 

This will be a story of fingerpainting, ineffective fixes, and ham-fisted coverup attempts all while tens  of thousands of barrels of toxic sludge get pumped into a marine ecosystem that is pivotal for hundreds of species that come from near and far to rest in the calm warm waters. 

Sources:

“A Sea in Flames: The Deepwater Horizon Oil Blowout” By Carl Safina (2011)

“A Very Brief History of Offshore Drilling” Costalreview.org by Frank Tursi (2015) https://coastalreview.org/2015/06/a-very-brief-history-of-offshore-drilling/

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