Analysis and Evaluation of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - Case Study Example

DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL By Student’s Names Code + Course Name Professor’s Name University/College Name City/State Date Introduction Oil spills happen when liquid petroleum is accidentally released into the environment. This is mainly a consequence of human negligence or the malfunction of infrastructure, for instance, the explosion of oil rigs and offshore platforms and wells. One of the greatest oil spills is documented to have taken place during the Gulf war when over 300 million gallons of crude oil poured into the Persian Gulf (Oilspillsolutions.org, 2014). Another major oil spill was the ixtoc 1 oil spill of Mexico followed by the Deepwater Horizon (DH) il pill. In the year 2010, approximately six oil spills were experienced in the US waters while several others occurred in Canada, China, France, United Kingdom and Nigeria (Oilspillsolutions.org, 2014). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) noted that almost all biological communities were susceptible to the after-effects of oil spills (Oilspillsolutions.org, 2014). This paper will analyze the DH oil spill with emphasize on how it affected the economy, community and ecosystem in the region. Company Profile DH was an oil drilling rig that was owned by Transocean’s Triton Asset Leasing and leased to British Petroleum (BP) (Offshore Technology 2015). The oil rig was built in the year 2001 by Hyundai Heavy Industries (Offshore Technology 2015). The oil rig was built to drill the subsea bed wells for the purpose of oil exploration and production. This oil rig was designed to operate in very deep waters with drill depths reaching up to 9100 m (Offshore Technology 2015). On 22nd April, 2010, the oil rig blasted sinking to cause massive spillage (Offshore Technology 2015). To date, this has been considered the worst ever experienced oil spillage in U.S. The oil well took another 87 days to get capped off and by then massive quantities of oil had already leaked into the Gulf. The reason for the massive explosion and spill was that the well was located very deep, over 5,000 feet, under the water surface in addition to the region been permanently dark and the temperatures were just above freezing levels with extremely high pressures (Offshore Technology, 2015). These extremities made it difficult for the workers of BP and Transocean to control the spread of the oil, especially to the beaches and other coastal regions. Analysis and Evaluation of the DH Oil Spill The Spill The spill was recorded as being the worst accidental spill in history (Clark, 2010). The oil floated to the ocean’s surface forming oil slicks, which were then pushed further by the winds. Some of the oil also rose from the well head and hovered suspended in the mid-water which resulted in a 22-mile oil plume (Clark, 2010). Moreover, some oil also got glued together with particles in the water and sunk to the seabed where it covered sea corals and other ecosystem forming marine snow. Clean up methods Clearing up an oil spill is a costly affair that costs companies and governments a lot of money. The methods and apparatus required for this to be accomplished include determining the location and type of oil spilled. This helps the scientists to predict the movement and spread of the oil slick (Lin & Mendelssohn 2012; King et al. 2015). The sensitivity and the nature of the region are also considered. For example, the breeding grounds and the vegetation around the area. This also entails determining the variety of plant and animal species found in the spill location (Lin & Mendelssohn 2012; King et al. 2015). Environmentalists strive to safeguard the life of all species, and research must be conducted to help preserve, especially, the endangered species in the region (Fingas 2012; Riffaut et al. 2005). In addition, consideration of the nature and toxicity of the oil well is salient as the timing the spill has occurred is important relative to seasonal breeding, and bird and fish migration patterns. Furthermore, cleaning up spilled oil requires a clear understanding of the nature of the spill and the factors that may either worsen or improve the situation (Fingas 2012; Riffaut et al. 2005). In the DH case, clearing up the spill took almost three months given the amount of oil and the extent of the spill. This was made worse by the BP contingency plans that were riddled with errors and miscalculations (Clark 2010). In addition, the winds and tides were making the oil spread further making it more difficult to clear. Different methods were applied in this case. The first was the use of barriers to prevent the sheen from spreading to a wider area. This process entails cleanup workers surrounding the spillage with floating booms. This prevented the oil from spreading further to the harbors and beaches (Clark 2010). After this step, skimmers and boats skimmed the water through the slick. This step helped the workers to remove a great amount of the oil. After that, sorbents were used to draw the traces of oil still left in the water. These sorbents could adsorb the oil making the oil particles to stick to it. The oil could also be cleared using biodegradable chemical dispersants. These dispersants break down the oil into smaller particles that can easily get mixed with water, and eventually they get degraded (Clark 2010). In DH’s case, the cleaners used massive volumes of chemical dispersants to treat the oil and helicopters to cover a vast area. The chemicals were also injected into the Macondo wellhead aiding to reduce the amount of oil that would get to the surface. Habitats and species recovery, to a large extent, is determined by the type of the ecosystem. Generally, the cleanup and recovery is faster in warmer climates as opposed to the cold climates (Clark 2010). In addition, the recovery is far easier on rocky shores compared to wet shores with marshes and other forms of plantation. The long- term effect of the oil that sank to the bottom is also a matter of concern that needs to get addressed. Causes of the Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill The deep water horizon oil spill was mainly blamed on the BP company. The company was accused of recklessness resulting in billions of people to contaminated water. BP was accused of gross negligence and has already paid penalties worth millions of dollars. The oil spill on the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico was caused by a flawed well plan. The constructors did not include enough cement between the 7-inch production casing and the 9 7/8-inch protection casing. As a result, the rig unexpectedly began to shake and the gas exploded engulfing the oil rig in huge flames. This negligence by both BP and Transocean led to the death of 11 oil rig workers. The workers hired by Transocean were also proven to be untrained and lacked the necessary skills to use diverters for the dangerous hydrocarbons. The diverter was also not well lined up. Reports also indicated that the cement job on the well was not well done and was in fact a major proximate cause of the accident. Consequently, BP bore 67 percent of the blame for the accident, while Transocean bore 30 percent. Halliburton Energy Services on the other hand bore 3 percent for the role they played. Impact of the DH Oil spill Effect on the Ecosystem Oil harms seabirds and marine animals through either physical contact or toxic contamination or both. When animals and birds get into physical contact with the oil, their fur and feathers get sticky and most cannot fly or move as usual. In addition, toxic contamination happens when the sea life inhales or ingests the toxic oil vapors, damaging their central nervous systems, lungs and liver (Goldenberg 2014). The ingested oil also damages their cells in their digestive systems inhibiting the normal digesting process of the animal and eventually their reproductive system in the long term (Clark 2010). The immediate effects of the DH oil spill were that some of marine life that got into contact with the oil spills were affected (Conle 2012; Aeppli et al. 2012). For example, the dolphins had to maneuver their way through the oil and most were taken ill. Other marine life was choked to death as the oil prevented oxygen from passing through (Clark 2010; Mendelssohn et al. 2012). In addition, numerous sea turtles were found smothered and washed up on the beaches. Pelicans and other animals were black from the exposure with the oil spills while fish were found dead with brown sludge covering seabirds that got their feathers smudged with oil were unable to fly, swim and even dive to get food (Goldenberg 2014; Liu et al. 2011). Worse still, scientists documented cases of pelicans in Minnesota laying eggs with traces of petroleum compounds as well as the chemical dispersants used (Judy et al. 2014; Malins 2013). In addition, the oil wiped out some of the microscopic population in the water (Barron 2012; Incardona et al. 2014). Examples of these include plankton and microbes as well as small fish and sea animals (Conley 2012; Aeppli et al. 2012). This created a gap in species population (Clark, 2010). Scientists also speculate that this accident may have destroyed tuna larvae of the endangered Atlantic Bluefin. For example, the spill in 1976 was estimated to have killed more than 60,000 long-tailed ducks , while that in Alaska’s Exxon Valdez oiled about 30, 000 birds (Aeppli et al.,2012). The impact of the spill covered over 1,000 miles from the Mexican Gulf stretching from Texas to Florida. Although the spill was cleared years back, and the areas cleaned, the shorelines are still eroded and may never fully recover (Goldenberg 2014; White et al. 2012). Long-term impacts of the spill included the following; Sick dolphins and whales. When the official investigations into the impact of the oil spill were conducted, it was evident that over half the dolphins in Barataria Bay were very ill. 17 percent of these were not expected to survive (Goldenberg 2014). To date, there are still several dolphins found stranded. A study done in March 2014 by the NOAA researchers revealed that the oil caused cardiotoxicity to marine life as some dolphins were found anemic, and some had symptoms of liver damage and a variety of lung diseases (Goldenberg, 2014). More so, the dolphins recorded an average less weight compared to the usual weight before the spill (Clark 2010). The sperms of whales tested along the northern Gulf also exhibited traces of metal compared to whale specimen collected from other regions. Sea turtles stranding at 5X standard rates and reduced Oysters numbers. The number of stranded sea turtles increased from one hundred to five hundred after the spill. The NOAA report added that between the years 2011 and 2013, there were approximately 500 stranded sea turtles after the spill (Barron 2012; Incardona et al. 2014). The number of Oysters also significantly declined with reports showing a decline in their reproduction levels across the Gulf. Unbalanced food web. The oil spill occurred at a time when most marine life were breeding. The toxicity of the oil and the clearing agents possibly affected the egg larval organisms wiping away these lives. The result was a population dip and cascading food web effects diminishing the fish and wildlife population (Goldenberg 2014). Four years past the calamity, there are still 14 species of marine animals that have shown symptoms and signs of oil exposure. A 2014 report by the National Wildlife Federation suggests that there still some remnants of the spill as there were some patches of oil found washed up on the beach and marshes on several occasion (Goldenberg 2014). Effect on the tourism industry The Gulf Coast State is mainly dependent on commercial fishing and recreation. Tourists traveled from far to spend their vacations on the beaches and enjoy the seafood fetching substantial revenue in the process (Kubat & Matwins 1998; McNutt et al. 2012). When the spill happened, the fisheries had to close down for approximately one year to ensure the fish and marine life was safe for consumers. Shrimp fisheries in the coastal region were closed down because most of the invertebrates in the gulf were casualties of the accident (Judy et al. 2014; Malins 2013). In addition, corals on the seabed were damaged, and the young corals were weakened lowering their chances of survival (Goldenberg 2014; Sumalia et al. 2012). The implication was that many people who relied fully on the business lost their jobs. The rate of unemployment and the people were forced to find other income-generating activities to. Many also relocated to other regions in an attempt to find other sources of income in the harsh economic times. Lifeguards, hoteliers, chefs and fishermen were most affected (Conley 2012; Aeppli et al. 2012). The recreational activities also ceased as people waited for the water to clear. The National Research Council noticed a decline in commercial production in the region by approximately 20 percent (Reddy et al. 2012; Pilcher et al. 2014). This created additional economic hardship for the people in the region. Many feared and distrusted fish and other seafood in the region. The region also lost its aesthetic appeal with, dead birds, huge tar balls, and sticky oil became common sites on the beaches that were a turn off for the tourists (de Soysa et al. 2012; Kingston 2002). Consequently, the region’s tourism suffered as most of the tourists feared for their health. Industries that relied on the sea water for their day to day activities had to halt their operations until the oil was cleared (de Soysa et al. 2012; Kingston 2002). More so, the spill triggered numerous health concerns. Many people and marine life got sick from inhaling the fumes from the oil as well as the chemicals that were used to remove the oil. Some oil traces also found their way to the foods endangering the lives of the people in the community (Sillman et al. 2012). However, the deep sea is very extensive and ascertaining the full impact of the spill is difficult (National Commission on the BP Deepwater Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling [NCBPOSOD] 2011). Effect on the economy When the oil was spilled, it had significant economic implications for both the companies involved as well as the community. For instance, the company lost over 180 million gallons of oil which was a substantive loss (Reddy et al. 2012; Pilcher et al. 2014). Moreover, the cost of repairing the oil rig and cleaning up the waters was high and this affected the revenues and profitability of the company in that financial year, as well as subsequent years that followed until it fully recovered (Goldenberg 2014). A lot of finances were, therefore, invested into the project include financial support from the government who had to come in and salvage the situation. In addition, BP was sued by various groups for the damages caused which up to date are still weighing them down financially (Silliman et al. 2012; NCBPOSOD 2011). The parties involved also had to cater for the medical treatment of those affected by the disaster. More so, putting up the recovery strategies for the company requires money and resources (Reddy et al., 2012; Pilcher et al., 2014). When the oil spill occurred, other commercial activities in the region stalled as fisheries were closed until the fish were declared safe to consume. Recreation activities also stalled because fewer tourists were willing to visit the region, which weighed down on the economy of the state (de Soysa et al. 2012; Kingston 2002). Role of Health and safety systems associated with the oil spill According to the Health and safety authority, every oil spill must be subjected to a slip, trip and fall risk assessment. This process entails identifying, preventing, containing, removal, cordoning and detection of the spills. However, in the case of Deep Water Horizon, the spill had already happened and what was left was for the cleaners to first determine the nature of the spill and chemicals involved then determining the best clean up method. To avoid worsening the contamination in the sea, the clean-up personnel used Skimmers and sorbents to collect all the floating oil. The presence of health and safety systems help to safeguard the welfare of all the stakeholders in a company. In the case of DH, they help to identify and analyze health and safety hazards at the work site and give control measures. The health and safety systems also help to ensure competency raining and direct on the best emergency response. In this case BP failed miserably as their contingency plan was riddled with many inconsistencies. Transocean was also accused of hiring people who are not qualified to build and run the rig, factors that led to the accident. Recommendations Although oil spills are usually accidental hence unplanned for, corporations in the industry need to have contingency plans to subvert the possible losses that can be impacted by such accidents again. The oil company should also revise their current contingency plans because they were ineffective during the disaster and were incapable of taming the aggravation of the situation. The state can also implement regulations about procedures to follows when oil spills occur in a region. This could include training the local people on how to handle the situation especially when they come in contact with a stranded or intoxicated animal. Finally, more rehabilitation structures should also be put in place to take care of the animal victims. Conclusion The impact of oil spills eventually fade away, but the impact of the damage caused can manifest for a long time. However, every situation is different depending on the conditions and circumstances of the spill and also its characteristics. Scientists said the full impact of the DH oil spill is not yet known, but the aftermath will take longer to clear up completely. Although the daily implications of the oil spills have been removed, the long term effects are still felt. The negative effects of the oil spill may take up to 20 years to completely phase out from the ecosystem. It is salient to note that oil spills not only affect marine life, but it affects routine community activities. The increased pollution and contamination of wildlife has become a major threat in the affected areas. 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