The Wall Street Journal has revealed unconventional changes in oil rig testing, and dissension among engineers testing the Deepwater Horizon, in the hours leading up to the explosion that killed 11 workers and caused an unprecented oil leak into the Gulf of Mexico.
In a scathing 3-part article, ending in today's WSJ, evidence from documentation and personal interviews show that in the hours just prior to testing of the recently completed rig, concern, disagreement, distractions, and from some, a non-chalant attitude about the corner-cutting testing of the well were apparent on that fateful day.
Perhaps the most disturbing revelation was that during the hours preceding the test, BP executives had been flown onto the rig and were being escorted around by engineers who should have been overseeing the tests!
One experienced BP manager, Donald Vidrine, seems to be especially culpable. Although test results indicated irregular and contrary readings on different gauges, he deemed the tests "satisfactory." Within hours, the rig was in flames and 11 workers were dead.
To read more about how the explosion came about, see the Wall Street Journal:
http://online.wsj.com/home-page
Thanks for reading!
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703960004575427142505940502.html