BP Relied on Cheaper Wells

Source: WSJ



In recent years, oil giant BP PLC used a well design that has been called "risky" by Congressional investigators in more than one out of three of its deepwater wells in the Gulf of Mexico, significantly more often than most peers, a Wall Street Journal analysis of federal data shows.

The design was used on the well that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, killing 11 workers and causing America's worst offshore oil spill. The only other major well design, which is more expensive, includes more safeguards against a natural-gas blowout of the kind that destroyed the Deepwater Horizon.

A Journal analysis of records provided by the U.S. Minerals Management Service shows that BP used the less costly design—called "long string"—on 35% of its deepwater wells since July 2003, the earliest date the well-design data were available. Anadarko Petroleum Corp., a minority partner of BP's in the destroyed well, used it on 42% of its deepwater Gulf wells, though it says it doesn't do so in wells of the type drilled by BP.

. . .

A long-string design is cheaper because a single pipe runs the length of the well and can be installed in one step. But it also can create a dangerous pathway for natural gas to rise unchecked outside the pipe.

The alternative, known as liners, is seen as safer because it has more built-in places to prevent oil or gas from flowing up the well uncontrolled. "There are more barriers, and the barriers are easier to test," says Gene Beck, an engineer and professor at Texas A&M University.


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BP advertised that Horizon was the first well to be drilled so deep. A huge deal for them. So what did they do, they used a cheaper well. How does that makes sense.

shore by the little people... all of them chanting, "Time for your bath Mr. Hayward".

Too many positions of authority held by people who have never actually done any real productive, hands on type work. They are just bottom-line focused schemers without ANY practical experience or grasp of what it takes to get anything but paper shuffling done.

And there is the problem. Decision makers who set the parameters have no fucking clue about anything but profit/loss columns and how to buy politicians to do what they need done re laws and regs.

IOW, capitalism taken beyond real experience = WE'RE DOOMED

BP is just a gaggle of rich white men sitting around getting richly paid while a whole bunch of contractors are doing all the work. So far I haven't read any article where a BP employee is actually doing a thing (except for the execs at the congressional hearing).

It is almost comical when the WH says they have to let BP take care of the Gulf because BP has the expertise. BP hires the expertise, it has none itself.

Forget about that old Horatio Alger notion of "working your way up" -- today, the people calling the shots are just as apt to be freshly-minted MBAs as they are to be someone who actually has the foggiest notion of what their company actually DOES.

But they so' nuff do know that debits go on the left, credits go on the right, employees have a direct impact on the almighty Bottom Line, and, if you work it right, those "Executive Retreats" can be 100% deductible.

before the Republicans do.

Oh, yeah, some of them are Republicans.

But some of them probably aren't.

who keep the subsidies to Big Oil going, to get some of those juicy quarterly profits to fund their campaigns to get elected to give more "special understanding" to the Big People Politicians on Cheeneey's Most Favored list.

Halliburton complained about safety on the day the rig blew up.

that they were no longer an "OIL" company but were from then on to be a "BRANDING" company. As a BRANDING company BP has demonstrably proved it is no longer qualified being an OIL company and, as such, should in no way operate any oil facility anywhere ever! Virtually all aspects of the oil industry are intrinsically dangerous and require qualified, highly skilled engineers, operations personnel, and technically knowledgeable managers in order to operate safely. BP can live out its corporate future as a BRANDING company run by accountants and marketing executives but all of its operating assets in oil & gas need to be confiscated immediately. As a company, BP should be barred from operating any oil & gas assets now and into the future.