Blowout: The Deepwater Horizon Disaster
A Survivor Recalls His Harrowing Escape; Plus, A Former BP Insider Warns Of Another Potential Disaster
(CBS) The gusher unleashed in the Gulf of Mexico continues to spew crude oil. There are no reliable estimates of how much oil is pouring into the gulf. But it comes to many millions of gallons since the catastrophic blowout. Eleven men were killed in the explosions that sank one of the most sophisticated drilling rigs in the world, the "Deepwater Horizon."
Play CBS Video Video Deepwater Horizon's Blowout, Part 1
Scott Pelley speaks to one of the survivors of the deadly Deepwater Horizon oil rig blast who was in a position to know what caused the disaster.
Video Deepwater Horizon's Blowout, Part 2
Scott Pelley investigates the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion that killed 11, causing the ongoing oil leak in the waters off of Louisiana. One survivor talks about his harrowing escape and what happened after he got off the burning rig.
Video Extra: Mike Williams On Andrea's Rescue
Mike Williams, the chief electronics technician aboard the Deepwater Horizon, learns the fate of Andrea.
(CBS)
Photo Essay Oil Spill Threatens Wildlife
As the Gulf oil spill spreads towards the mainland, more than 400 species of wildlife are in serious danger
This week Congress continues its investigation, but Capitol Hill has not heard from the man "60 Minutes" correspondent Scott Pelley met: Mike Williams, one of the last crewmembers to escape the inferno.
Extra: Mike Williams on Andrea's Rescue
Extra: "I'm Gonna Die Right Here"
Extra: "As I Got To The Next Door, It Exploded"
Extra: "It Was A Ranging Inferno
Extra: "We Were In Bad Trouble"
Extra: "We're Gonna Burn Up Or We're Gonna Jump"
Extra: "I Must Be Dead"
Extra: Capturing The Disaster
Extra: Warning Signs
CBSNews.com: Complete Coverage
Photos: Gulf Oil Spill Threatens Wildlife
Truthout: Article on WhistleblowerHe says the destruction of the Deepwater Horizon had been building for weeks in a series of mishaps. The night of the disaster, he was in his workshop when he heard the rig's engines suddenly run wild. That was the moment that explosive gas was shooting across the decks, being sucked into the engines that powered the rig's generators.
"I hear the engines revving. The lights are glowing. I'm hearing the alarms. I mean, they're at a constant state now. It's just, 'Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.' It doesn't stop. But even that's starting to get drowned out by the sound of the engine increasing in speed. And my lights get so incredibly bright that they physically explode. I'm pushing my way back from the desk when my computer monitor exploded," Williams told Pelley.
The rig was destroyed on the night of April 20. Ironically, the end was coming only months after the rig's greatest achievement.
Mike Williams was the chief electronics technician in charge of the rig's computers and electrical systems. And seven months before, he had helped the crew drill the deepest oil well in history, 35,000 feet.
"It was special. There's no way around it. Everyone was talking about it. The congratulations that were flowing around, it made you feel proud to work there," he remembered.
Williams worked for the owner, Transocean, the largest offshore drilling company. Like its sister rigs, the Deepwater Horizon cost $350 million, rose 378 feet from bottom to top. Both advanced and safe, none of her 126 crew had been seriously injured in seven years.
The safety record was remarkable, because offshore drilling today pushes technology with challenges matched only by the space program.
Deepwater Horizon was in 5,000 feet of water and would drill another 13,000 feet, a total of three miles. The oil and gas down there are under enormous pressure. And the key to keeping that pressure under control is this fluid that drillers call "mud."
"Mud" is a manmade drilling fluid that's pumped down the well and back up the sides in continuous circulation. The sheer weight of this fluid keeps the oil and gas down and the well under control.
The tension in every drilling operation is between doing things safely and doing them fast; time is money and this job was costing BP a million dollars a day. But Williams says there was trouble from the start - getting to the oil was taking too long.
Williams said they were told it would take 21 days; according to him, it actually took six weeks.
With the schedule slipping, Williams says a BP manager ordered a faster pace.
"And he requested to the driller, 'Hey, let's bump it up. Let's bump it up.' And what he was talking about there is he's bumping up the rate of penetration. How fast the drill bit is going down," Williams said.
Williams says going faster caused the bottom of the well to split open, swallowing tools and that drilling fluid called "mud."
"We actually got stuck. And we got stuck so bad we had to send tools down into the drill pipe and sever the pipe," Williams explained.
That well was abandoned and Deepwater Horizon had to drill a new route to the oil. It cost BP more than two weeks and millions of dollars.
"We were informed of this during one of the safety meetings, that somewhere in the neighborhood of $25 million was lost in bottom hole assembly and 'mud.' And you always kind of knew that in the back of your mind when they start throwing these big numbers around that there was gonna be a push coming, you know? A push to pick up production and pick up the pace," Williams said.
Asked if there was pressure on the crew after this happened, Williams told Pelley, "There's always pressure, but yes, the pressure was increased."
But the trouble was just beginning: when drilling resumed, Williams says there was an accident on the rig that has not been reported before. He says, four weeks before the explosion, the rig's most vital piece of safety equipment was damaged.
Produced by Solly Granatstein and Graham Messick
© MMX, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
...
- 8
- next
See all 75 CommentsYou made a major point about the rubber from the annular which was circulated out of the well after a procedural error.
- The annular is designed to 'strip' pipe in and out of the well;
- It is not unusual for rubber to come off the annular element after pipe has been stripped through it under pressure (this is a cause for concern, but not a 'show stopper').
- There are two annulars in the BOP, so if one fails there is another;
- If the annular element failed, this would be obvious in bi-weekly pressure tests, which must be signed and available for MMS inspection;
- Most (not all) pressure tests are performed against the pipe rams, not the annular, because the large rubber element in the annular gradually compresses under pressure, masking the bahavior of the rest of the system.
Mike Williams' description of his escape from the inferno was riveting; he was truly fortunate, and I congratulate him in his wise choices during the incident, and his escape.
However, talking to him about the accident is similar to asking a flight attendant why a plane went down - he/she may be an expert and very experienced in their area of expertise, but has no idea about piloting the plane/rig.
Talk to the driller; talk to the BP or Transocean rig supervisor. Talk to the subsea engineer about the control pod which may have failed before the incident. Don't talk to the electrical technician.
I posted before that I believe this is BP's tragedy, caused by a bad attitude starting at the top. But if you're going to talk about the proximate causes, get someone who knows what they're talking about.
- BP inspected the rig and all the equipment before hiring it;
- BP reviewed and approved all safety procedures on the rig;
- BP reviewed and approved all pressure testing and equipment testing procedures for the BOP;
- BP witnessed all routine and nonroutine pressure tests, drills, procedures, etc. performed on the rig;
- BP prepared and supervised all downhole procedures used on the well;
- BP stipulated the conditions under which the cement would have been designed and tested;
- BP prepared the placement and pumping procedures for the cement plugs (as well as the casing before that);
- BP supervised the placement and pumping operations for the cement plug;
- BP supervised all operations on the drilling rig.
As your Berkley professor said at the last of his statement - Tony Haywood's attempt to shift responsibility makes me sick. That attitude, from the very top, poisons an organization, and is a recipe for disaster. We've now had 4 for BP in, what 6 years? Texas City refinery; North Slope corrosion; Thunderhorse; now Macondo. Is it time to toss the bums out of US waters?
I'm a retired drilling engineer with 40 years' experience, most offshore and most in 'deep' water, although the definition of 'deep' has changed radically over those 40 years.
Mr. Williams is a very brave man!
I just wanted to take a moment to applaud your organization. It took courage to air the segment with Mike Williams on your show "60 Minutes". On behalf of the entire crew here at Whale Tails Chips and everyone involved in ocean conservation thank you for bringing the truth to light. It was shocking and disgraceful to learn what had been going on with that drilling attempt just weeks before the whole thing blew. Kudos to 60 Minutes for some great reporting. Now let's see where this all ends up. BP had better not get a pass on anything connected to this situation.
Years ago British Petroleum shortened its name to BP and began promoting itself as the environmentally-friendly oil company with their $200 million Ogilvy & Mather ad campaign. BP transformed its corporate brand insignia from a shield to a wholesome natural sunburst.
BP appears to be fake, while Mike Williams is the real deal.
Somehow all of this corporate criminal activity and behavior that shows no conscience for humans, for animals and for our planet. My heart goes out to all of the families who lost loved ones. All of the wildlife and all of natured that is being tortured and destroyed. After the murders we have all of those people who live along the coast who have lost their livelyhoods, way of life, and the sadness of seeing what they love being destroyed by people who did their jobs in a negligent and criminally irresponsible manner.
BP In Haste to Complete and Move on with Drilling Program-
As an old rig supervisor, I am impressed with Williams' account of events leading to disaster. He is not familiar with drilling and cementing but has been around enough to give a good account. But where is Cameron in all this series of errors. The BOP belongs to them - it must be guaranteed by them and any rig personnel must keep them advised of any problem so they can help. The battery problem, the faulty pod, the pulling out of the annular seal - also some modification to the BOP to help in testing. You really did not have a functional bop again. And then the shear rams could not cut the drillpipe it was supposed to shutoff! Why? What safeguard you had if you had to shear the pipe and move off with the drilling vessel? It was a comedy of errors.
Pulling rubber through a BOP is a criminal act - and could only be corrected by bringing the well under control and replacing the rams or bop. This is the only safeguard from disaster if the well kicks violently or there is a breakage above the bop.
As the well started to flow back - displacing to salt water was an unthinkable advice. Mud should have been circulated until the gas bubbles were removed. But was the rig and circulating systems geared for handling a flow back of gas? As soon as gas spread over the deck, the engines started to speed up.
I do not know of the new Nitrogen 'Fluffy' Cement but would say that it appears as another Halliburton salesman technique to peddle fast setting cement. I would not go with that untried cementing scam in a deep offshore well - drilling in 5000 ft of water.
Let see what comes out of the inquiry.
MURDER or Serious Negligence - which one is it?
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
...
- 8
- next
See all 75 Comments