Timeline of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (August 2010)

Last updated

Following is a timeline of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill for August 2010 .

Contents

July

August 1–7

  • Some BP gas stations say they want to revert to the Amoco brand. [1]
  • BP exec Doug Suttles says he would eat seafood from the Gulf saying, "There's been a tremendous amount of testing done by NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and the state agencies and the FDA and others. They're not going to open these waters to either sport fishing or commercial fishing if it's not safe to eat the fish…I have a lot of confidence in those agencies and I trust their recommendations and I would eat their food -- the seafood out of the Gulf, and I would feed it to my family."
  • BP reports that the well achieved "static condition" shortly after midnight after 2,300 barrels of drilling mud is said to fill the well. [14] [16] [17]
  • Harry Reid delays a vote on Senate bill which would lift the $75 million cap for economic damages from a spill under after the summer recess. [18]
  • NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco release the Oil Budget Calculator which says, "it is estimated that burning, skimming and direct recovery from the wellhead removed one quarter (25%) of the oil released from the wellhead. One quarter (25%) of the total oil naturally evaporated or dissolved, and just less than one quarter (24%) was dispersed (either naturally or as a result of operations) as microscopic droplets into Gulf waters. The residual amount — just over one quarter (26%) — is either on or just below the surface as light sheen and weathered tar balls, has washed ashore or been collected from the shore, or is buried in sand and sediments. Oil in the residual and dispersed categories is in the process of being degraded." [19] [20]
  • BP begins pumping cement into the well from the top. Greg McCormack, program director of the Petroleum Extension Service at the University of Texas, Austin explains "When the well is static, it's killed…But if you remove the pressure, it can become unkilled. Once you put cement in it from the bottom, then it can never be unkilled." Plans are continuing to place cement in the bottom starting around August 15. [21]
  • Workers file $10 billion suit against BP in the over a Spring 2010 incident in 500,000 pounds of pollutants, including benzene were released at the Texas City, Texas refinery that was the site of the 2005 Texas City Refinery explosion. [22]
  • BP completes cementing of the well from the top at 2:15 p.m. CDT. [23]
  • Mike Utsler replaces Doug Suttles as BP's lead representative in the Unified Area Command and as chief operating officer for the BP Gulf Coast Restoration Organization, Suttles will return to his job as BP COO. [24]
  • Suttles says BP may drill the well again. [25]

August 8–14

Barack Obama and daughter Sasha swim at Alligator Point in Panama City Beach, Fla., Saturday, Aug. 14, 2010. Obama-sasha-spill.jpg
Barack Obama and daughter Sasha swim at Alligator Point in Panama City Beach, Fla., Saturday, Aug. 14, 2010.
  • James Cameron tells MTV about his proposals early in the spill for providing cameras for covering the spill, and that ultimately his proposals were adopted. He notes, "If you're relying on BP for imagery, you're basically relying on the criminal's video of the crime scene." [26]
  • Rahm Emanuel, Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Carol Browner, White House Counsel Robert Bauer, and Allen meet with BP executives Bob Dudley and Lamar McKay at the White House to discuss long term issues. [27]
  • Obama meets with members of the Super Bowl winning New Orleans Saints at the White House incorporating comments about the spill into his speech saying, "Yesterday, we learned that a procedure to prevent any more oil from spilling with a cement plug appears to have succeeded. And the final steps will be taken later in August when the relief well is completed. But what is clear is that the battle to stop the oil from flowing into the Gulf is just about over." [28]
  • BP pays its first $3 billion into the spill trust fund. It will pay $1.25 billion each quarter until it reaches $20 billion. [29]
  • Thad Allen says the drilling of the relief well has been suspended because of an approaching tropical storm. [30]
  • NOAA reopens 5,144 square miles (13,320 km2) of Gulf waters to commercial and recreational finfish fishing (along west Florida coast). Another 52,395 square miles (135,700 km2) remain closed – down 22 percent from its height. [30] [31]
  • U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transfers 77 suits in seven courts to U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana under Judge Carl Barbier. [32] The court is expected to consolidate at least 300 suits. [33]
  • Work on the relief well begins as the storm passes. [40]
  • Obama on a one a night vacation stays at the Back Bay Marriott in Panama City Beach, Florida. The White House releases a photo of Obama and Sasha Obama swimming in St. Andrew's Bay (Florida) near Alligator Point. The Press was not present during the swim. [43]
  • Allen authorizes the bottom kill to begin. The relief well is 3-1/2 horizontally 50 feet (15 m) from the intercept point. The intercept has been delayed by a review to "exclude any low probability, high consequence events" [44]

August 15–22

  • Shrimping season begins in the Gulf [45]
  • BP says it will contribute $52 million to help address the immense behavioral health issues arising from the spill. [46]

Related Research Articles

<i>Deepwater Horizon</i> Former offshore oil drilling rig

Deepwater Horizon was an ultra-deepwater, dynamically positioned, semi-submersible offshore drilling rig owned by Transocean and operated by BP. On 20 April 2010, while drilling at the Macondo Prospect, a blowout caused an explosion on the rig that killed 11 crewmen and ignited a fireball visible from 40 miles (64 km) away. The fire was inextinguishable and, two days later, on 22 April, the Horizon sank, leaving the well gushing at the seabed and causing the largest marine oil spill in history.

A dispersant or a dispersing agent is a substance, typically a surfactant, that is added to a suspension of solid or liquid particles in a liquid to improve the separation of the particles and to prevent their settling or clumping.

<i>Deepwater Horizon</i> oil spill Oil spill that began in April 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill was an industrial disaster that began on 20 April 2010 off of the coast of the United States in the Gulf of Mexico on the BP-operated Macondo Prospect, considered to be the largest marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry and estimated to be 8 to 31 percent larger in volume than the previous largest, the Ixtoc I oil spill, also in the Gulf of Mexico. The United States federal government estimated the total discharge at 4.9 MMbbl. After several failed efforts to contain the flow, the well was declared sealed on 19 September 2010. Reports in early 2012 indicated that the well site was still leaking. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is regarded as one of the largest environmental disasters in world history.

The Macondo Prospect is an oil and gas prospect in the United States Exclusive Economic Zone of the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Louisiana. The prospect was the site of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion in April 2010 that led to a major oil spill in the region from the first exploration well, named itself MC252-1, which had been designed to investigate the existence of the prospect.

<i>Deepwater Horizon</i> explosion 2010 oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico

The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion was an April 20, 2010 explosion and subsequent fire on the Deepwater Horizon semi-submersible mobile offshore drilling unit, which was owned and operated by Transocean and drilling for BP in the Macondo Prospect oil field about 40 miles (64 km) southeast off the Louisiana coast. The explosion and subsequent fire resulted in the sinking of the Deepwater Horizon and the deaths of 11 workers; 17 others were injured. The same blowout that caused the explosion also caused an oil well fire and a massive offshore oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, considered the largest accidental marine oil spill in the world, and the largest environmental disaster in United States history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corexit</span> Oil dispersant

Corexit is a product line of oil dispersants used during oil spill response operations. It is produced by Nalco Holding Company, an indirect subsidiary of Ecolab. Corexit was originally developed by the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey. Corexit is typically applied by aerial spraying or spraying from ships directly onto an oil slick. On contact with the dispersant, oil that would otherwise float on the surface of the water is emulsified into tiny droplets and sinks or remains suspended in the water. In theory this allows the oil to be more rapidly degraded by bacteria (bioremediation) and prevents it from accumulating on beaches and in marshes.

The National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling is a bipartisan presidential commission, established by Executive Order 13543 signed by Barack Obama on May 21, 2010, that is "tasked with providing recommendations on how the United States can prevent and mitigate the impact of any future spills that result from offshore drilling." It came about as a result of the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The first public hearings, held on July 12 and 13, 2010 in New Orleans, included scheduled testimony from Federal government officials and representatives of BP on the status of the spill and clean-up efforts, as well as from local officials, community leaders, and scientists on the economic, cultural and ecological impacts of the oil spill on Gulf Coast communities and ecosystems.

The following is a timeline of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. It was a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the largest offshore spill in U.S. history. It was a result of the well blowout that began with the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion on April 20, 2010.

This article covers the effect of the Deepwater Horizon disaster and the resulting oil spill on global and national economies and the energy industry.

Following is a timeline of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill for June 2010.

Following is a timeline of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill for July 2010.

Following is a Timeline of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill for May 2010.

Reactions to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill from various officials and interested parties ranged from blame and outrage at the damage caused by the spill, to calls for greater accountability on the part of the U.S. government and BP, including new legislation dealing with preventative security and clean-up improvements.

Efforts to stem the Deepwater Horizon oil spill were ongoing from the time that the Deepwater Horizon exploded on April 20, 2010 until the well was sealed by a cap on July 15, 2010. Various species of dolphins and other mammals, birds, and the endangered sea turtles have been killed either directly or indirectly by the oil spill. The Deepwater Horizon spill has surpassed in volume the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill as the largest ever to originate in U.S.-controlled waters; it is comparable to the 1979 Ixtoc I oil spill in total volume released.

The Deepwater Horizon investigation included several investigations and commissions, among others reports by National Incident Commander Thad Allen, United States Coast Guard, National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, National Academy of Engineering, National Research Council, Government Accountability Office, National Oil Spill Commission, and Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Trust is the $20 billion trust fund established by BP to settle claims arising from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The fund was established to be used for natural resource damages, state and local response costs and individual compensation. It was established as Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF), announced on 16 June 2010 after a meeting of BP executives with U.S. President Barack Obama. In June 2012, the settlement of claims through the GCCF was replaced by the court supervised settlement program.

The Health consequences of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill are health effects related to the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010. An oil discharge continued for 84 days, resulting in the largest oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry, estimated at approximately 206 million gallons. The spill exposed thousands of area residents and cleanup workers to risks associated with oil fumes, particulate matter from Controlled burns, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and heavy metals.

<i>Deepwater Horizon</i> oil spill response Containment and cleanup efforts

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill occurred between 10 April and 19 September 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico. A variety of techniques were used to address fundamental strategies for addressing the spilled oil, which were: to contain oil on the surface, dispersal, and removal. While most of the oil drilled off Louisiana is a lighter crude, the leaking oil was of a heavier blend which contained asphalt-like substances. According to Ed Overton, who heads a federal chemical hazard assessment team for oil spills, this type of oil emulsifies well. Once it becomes emulsified, it no longer evaporates as quickly as regular oil, does not rinse off as easily, cannot be broken down by microbes as easily, and does not burn as well. "That type of mixture essentially removes all the best oil clean-up weapons", Overton said.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GuLF Study</span>

The GuLF Study, or Gulf Long-term Follow-up Study, is a five-year research project examining the human-health consequences of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in April 2010. The spill followed an explosion on a drilling rig leased by BP, the British oil company, and led to the release of over four million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, 48 miles off the coast of Louisiana in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RESTORE Act</span>

The RESTORE Act is a United States federal statute that was signed into law by President Barack Obama on July 6, 2012. It was enacted by the 112th United States Congress as an amendment of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), a transportation bill that included many other provisions. The act was in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that occurred on April 20, 2010, which caused significant environmental, ecological, and economic damage to the U.S. Gulf Coast.

References

  1. ↑ "Reuters AlertNet - US BP distributors consider reverting to Amoco brand". Alertnet.org. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
  2. 1 2 "The Ongoing Administration-Wide Response to the Deepwater BP Oil Spill | Restore the Gulf". App.restorethegulf.gov. Archived from the original on August 6, 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
  3. ↑ "U.S. Scientific Teams Refine Estimates of Oil Flow from BP's Well Prior to Capping | Restore the Gulf". App.restorethegulf.gov. Archived from the original on August 6, 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
  4. ↑ "Gulf Oil Spill: Worst of Its Kind, Ever - TIME NewsFeed". Newsfeed.time.com. 2010-03-08. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
  5. ↑ "Gulf spill unleashed 4.9 million barrels of oil". MarketWatch. 2010-03-08. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
  6. ↑ Shahid, Aliyah (2010-08-03). "BP could attempt 'Static Kill' on Tuesday, fixing blown-out well for good". New York: Nydailynews.com. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
  7. ↑ "EPA Releases Second Phase of Toxicity Testing Data for Eight Oil Dispersants | Restore the Gulf". App.restorethegulf.gov. Archived from the original on August 6, 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
  8. ↑ "Toxicity Testing of Dispersants | EPA Response to BP Spill in the Gulf of Mexico | US EPA". Epa.gov. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
  9. ↑ "Comparative Toxicity of Louisiana Sweet Crude Oil (LSC) and Chemically Dispersed LSC to Two Gulf of Mexico Aquatic Test Species - July 31, 2010 - epa.gov" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-11-07.
  10. ↑ "Have an Oil Spill Cleanup Idea? Earn $1 Million - TIME NewsFeed". Newsfeed.time.com. 2010-03-08. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
  11. ↑ "X PRIZE Foundation to Announce Multi-Million Dollar Incentive Competition to Clean Up Oil | X PRIZE Foundation". Xprize.org. 2010-07-29. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
  12. ↑ Pamela Anderson (2 August 2010). "Pamela Anderson Adopts...Two Oil Spill-Affected Dogs!". E! Online. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
  13. ↑ Evans, Peter (3 August 2010). "Tropical Storm Colin Forms in Southeastern Caribbean, Gathers Strength". Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
  14. 1 2 "BP: 'Milestone' reached with 'static kill' procedure - Green House - USATODAY.com". Content.usatoday.com. 2010-01-08. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
  15. ↑ "Anadarko reports $1.2 billion spill bill from BP | Business | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle". Chron.com. 4 August 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
  16. ↑ "MC252 Well Reaches Static Condition | Press". Bp.com. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
  17. ↑ ‘Static Kill’ Appears to Be Working in Well, BP Says - nytimes.com - 2010-08-04
  18. ↑ Simon, Richard (2010-08-04). "BP pumps mud into well as Senate shelves drilling bill". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2010-08-04.
  19. ↑ "BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Budget: What Happened To the Oil? – deepwaterhorizonresponse.com – August 4, 2010" (PDF). Deepwaterhorizonresponse.com. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
  20. ↑ "The Ongoing Administration-Wide Response to the Deepwater BP Oil Spill | Restore the Gulf". App.restorethegulf.gov. Archived from the original on August 14, 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  21. ↑ BP Begins Pumping Cement Into Well – nytimes.com – August 5, 2010
  22. ↑ "Workers Sue BP for $10B! (And No, It's Not Because of the Gulf Oil Spill)". BNET. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  23. ↑ "BP Completes Cementing Procedure on MC252 Well | Press". Bp.com. Retrieved 2010-08-06.
  24. ↑ "names Mike Utsler its representative to Unified Area Command in New Orleans; Suttles returning to COO role in | Press". BP. Retrieved 2010-08-06.
  25. ↑ "BP says it still might drill in spill reservoir | AP | 08/06/2010". Philly.com. Retrieved 2010-08-06.[ dead link ]
  26. ↑ "James Cameron Says Government Ignored His BP Oil Spill Advice - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News". Mtv.com. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
  27. ↑ "The Ongoing Administration-Wide Response to the Deepwater BP Oil Spill | Restore the Gulf". App.restorethegulf.gov. Retrieved 2010-08-11.[ dead link ]
  28. ↑ Jesse Lee (9 August 2010). "President Obama Welcomes the Saints & the New Orleans Spirit | The White House". whitehouse.gov . Retrieved 2010-08-11– via National Archives.
  29. ↑ "The First $3 Billion Is the Hardest: BP Starts Paying Up". Fast Company. 10 August 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
  30. 1 2 "The Ongoing Administration-Wide Response to the Deepwater BP Oil Spill | Restore the Gulf". App.restorethegulf.gov. Retrieved 2010-08-11.[ dead link ]
  31. ↑ "PRESS RELEASE: NOAA Reopens More than 5,000 square miles (13,000 km2) of Closed Gulf Fishing Area | Restore the Gulf". App.restorethegulf.gov. Retrieved 2010-08-11.[ dead link ]
  32. ↑ "BP Oil Spill Lawsuits Centralized in New Orleans". AboutLawsuits.com. 2010-08-07. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
  33. ↑ "BP's Liability-Minimization Strategy | FDL News Desk". News.firedoglake.com. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
  34. ↑ "CORRECT: BP May Use Oil Production Payments As Collateral For $20B Fund - WSJ.com". Online.wsj.com. 2010-08-11. Retrieved 2010-08-11.[ dead link ]
  35. ↑ Restuccia, Andrew. "Activists Criticize Plan to Use BP's Future Drilling Revenues to Back Spill Fund « The Washington Independent". Washingtonindependent.com. Archived from the original on 2010-08-24. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
  36. ↑ Hanks, Douglas. "BP downsizes Miami oil spill operations center - Gulf Oil Spill". MiamiHerald.com. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
  37. ↑ Campbell, Christopher. "Spike Lee's New Documentary Tackles BP Oil Spill". Cinematical. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
  38. ↑ Farhi, Paul (September 17, 2010). "WJLA-TV fires veteran anchor Doug McKelway, cites insubordination, misconduct". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
  39. ↑ Sahagun, Louis (2010-08-11). "In Louisiana town of Grand Isle, oil cleanup comes with tensions". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2010-08-11.
  40. ↑ James, Frank (12 August 2010). "BP Dodges Storm, Resumes Drilling Relief Well : The Two-Way". NPR. NPR. Retrieved 2010-08-15.
  41. ↑ Wagster, Emily. "Country duo not on Miss. show, Barbour staff says - Entertainment AP". MiamiHerald.com. Retrieved 2010-08-15.[ dead link ]
  42. ↑ "BP pays for show touting Miss. coast 'resilience' - KLFY TV 10 - Acadiana's Local News, Weather and Sports Leader |". Klfy.com. Retrieved 2010-08-15.[ permanent dead link ]
  43. ↑ "Dive in, Mr. President; the water's fine // PHOTOS, VIDEO - News". WaltonSun.com. Archived from the original on 2010-08-16. Retrieved 2010-08-15.
  44. ↑ "Unified Command for the Deepwater BP Oil Spill | Transcript – Press Briefing by National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen". Deepwaterhorizonresponse.com. 2010-05-08. Retrieved 2010-08-15.
  45. ↑ "Skeptics Wary of Seafood Safety as La. Shrimping Season Opens in the Gulf - ABC News". Abcnews.go.com. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  46. ↑ "The Ongoing Administration-Wide Response to the Deepwater BP Oil Spill | Restore the Gulf". App.restorethegulf.gov. Archived from the original on August 20, 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  47. ↑ Gonzalez, Angel (2010-08-18). "BP's 'Bottom Kill' Effort Still on Hold - WSJ.com". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  48. ↑ Suzanne Goldenberg, US environment correspondent (2010-08-18). "Scientists dispute White House claim that spilled BP oil has vanished | Environment". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  49. ↑ "Scientists Release the First Rescued, Rehabilitated Sea Turtles Back into the Gulf | Restore the Gulf". App.restorethegulf.gov. Retrieved 2010-08-18.[ dead link ]
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