Michael Giberson
BP released the report of its internal investigation into the drilling accident in the Gulf of Mexico. Also available is a half-hour video explanation.
The Financial Times energysource blog has identified some of the key points from the report and a response from Greenpeace as well:
BP oil spill report: “No single factor” to blame
BP oil spill report: The main findings
From “the main findings” post:
The four-month investigation has found that the accident was caused by “a complex and interlinked series of mechanical failures, human judgments, engineering design, operational implementation and team interfaces”.
Selected from the “Greenpeace responds” post:
“This report is a sorry catalogue of the gaffes and failures behind the Deepwater Horizon disaster. And it’s highly likely that a truly independent report would be even more damning for BP.
“Worryingly, they’re just weeks away from drilling at similar depths in UK waters. The Government must step in right now and stop this by introducing a moratorium on deep water drilling.
“But the real problem is our addiction to oil…”
Questions for my U.S. Energy Policy and Regulation students: “In light of the Gulf oil spill, does the analysis of Robert Hahn and Peter Passel, ‘The economics of allowing more U.S. drilling,’ (Energy Economics, May 2010) need to be updated? Why or why not?”