Drill Pipe Trapped inside Blowout Preventer Caused Deepwater Horizon Explosion

According to investigators, a piece of the pipe that was trapped inside the blowout preventer of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig was a factor in the deadly explosion that killed 11 workers last year.  According to a forensic report, the devices that were in place to seal off the well, failed to do so, allowing oil to surge upward.

The report was drafted by Det Norske Veritas, a Norwegian company with energy expertise, hired to examine the rig’s blowout preventer.  The company had been hired by the US Interior Department and the US Coast Guard as part of their joint investigation into the cause of the explosion.  Much of the investigation into the Deepwater Horizon oil-rig explosion last year, has centered on the failure of the blowout preventer.

The report is part of the first technical analysis of the equipment that was being used on the rig.  The report focuses only on the mechanical causes of the blowout, and does not assign blame to any party involved in the disaster.  However, the report also mentions that the oil industry should examine the ability of blowout preventers to function under the kind of conditions that caused the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

The results of the investigation are being watched closely not just by maritime attorneys, but also by the oil industry, because they could impact the kind of safety regulations that the federal administration chooses to implement from now on.  Besides, they could also impact whether the federal administration chooses to press forward with criminal charges against any parties involved in the disaster. Contact our law firm Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P., Accident & Injury Lawyers.