Hearings: Rig's blowout preventer last inspected in 2005

[highplainsdem]

Source: The Times-Picayune

Hearings: Rig's blowout preventer last inspected in 2005

By David Hammer, The Times-Picayune
May 26, 2010, 12:28PM

This is an update from the joint U.S. Coast Guard and Minerals Management Service hearings in Kenner Wednesday into the explosion and fire aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig on April 20, which killed 11 workers and created the Gulf of Mexico oil spill currently fouling Louisiana's coast.

In addition to periodic inspections by the U.S. Minerals Management Service, Deepwater Horizon's flag state, Marshall Islands, hires its own inspection organization to audit activities and systems on the rig. The American Bureau of Shipping performs those surveys, and chief surveyor John David Forsyth testified that his agency last inspected the rig's failed blowout preventer in 2005, before it was installed as the final fail-safe against a well blowout. Asked by BP's lawyer if the fact that there were no further certifications of the blowout preventer came at Transocean's request, Forsyth said, "Yes, it was."

Forsyth said the American Bureau of Shipping was notified of two events, a flood on the rig and a blackout, but determined they did not raise enough concerns to withdraw the rig's certifications.

Chief mechanic's testimony

-snip-

Read more: http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/05/hearings_rigs_blowout_prevente.html

[Renew Deal]

1. Inspecting it before the install only tells you if it's good enough to install

But that's 20% of the work. The other 80% is the installation and operation.

[Arctic Dave]

2. Keep pulling the thread. Everyone is guilty if they keep going.

Looks more and more like the entire operation, from operator to contractor, was criminal with negligence.

[Nihil]

3. K & R

> Asked by BP's lawyer if the fact that there were no further
> certifications of the blowout preventer came at Transocean's
> request, Forsyth said, "Yes, it was."

Oops.

[maddezmom]

4. 2 wells capped in Gulf after problems found in blowout preventers

Problems were detected in two blowout preventers on deepwater wells in the Gulf of Mexico last week, causing companies to temporarily cap the wells, officials with the companies involved confirmed to the Press-Register today.

One of the blowout preventers sat atop a well being drilled in 4,400 feet of water by Transocean Ltd., the company that was also drilling the Deepwater Horizon well now leaking in the Gulf of Mexico.

The other fail-safe device was owned by Noble Drilling Services Inc., which was working for Shell Oil in about 4,000 feet of water. That well was being drilled by Noble's Jim Thompson semi-submersible drilling rig.

Both wells were south of Louisiana.

The U.S. Minerals Management Service, which oversees drilling operations in federal waters, did not return calls seeking comment.

more: http://blog.al.com/live/2010/05/blowout_preventer_failures_gulf.html

[Nihil]

5. At least it's been capped before it blew this time!

> One of the blowout preventers sat atop a well being drilled in 4,400 feet
> of water by Transocean Ltd., the company that was also drilling the Deepwater
> Horizon well now leaking in the Gulf of Mexico.

Small mercies, blah, blah, blah.