| On 20 April 2010, the offshore drilling rig Deepwater Horizon exploded and caught fire in US waters of the Gulf of Mexico. 11 workers were killed in the explosion and 17 injured. The rig was owned by Transocean on lease to BP, which was the main operator and developer of the site, with Anadarko Petroleum and MOEX Offshore (part of Mitsui Oil Exploration) as minority co-owners. Work on the well had been performed just before the explosion by Halliburton. The 'blowout preventer' was built by Cameron International. On 22 April, the rig sank. Oil leaked from the ruptured well head until 15 July when it was temporarily stopped; approximately 4.9 million barrels of oil had leaked into the Gulf. On 19 September 2010, the US government declared the well 'effectively dead'. Oil directly affected coastal areas in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Texas. People dependent on fishing and tourism have been severely affected, along with those in other industries, including some farther from the Gulf Coast. Concerns have also been raised in relation to health hazards for clean-up workers and coastal residents, including harms allegedly caused by chemicals used to disperse the oil (made by Nalco). |
Description
Basic Data
| Name | Deepwater Horizon oil spill, USA |
| Country | United States of America |
| Accuracy of Location | MEDIUM regional level |
Source of Conflict
| Type of Conflict (1st level) | Fossil Fuels and Climate Justice/Energy |
| Type of Conflict (2nd level) | Oil and gas exploration and extraction |
| Specific Commodities | Crude oil |
Project Details and Actors
| Project Details | Oil leaked from the ruptured well head until 15 July when it was temporarily stopped; approximately 4.9 million barrels of oil had leaked into the Gulf. |
| Type of Population | Urban |
| Start Date | 20/04/2010 |
| Company Names or State Enterprises | Anadarko Petroleum Corporation from United States of America BP Cameron International from United States of America Halliburton from United States of America MOEX Offshore from Japan - part of Mitsui Oil Exploration Mitsui & Co., Ltd. from Japan Transocean from Switzerland |
The Conflict and the Mobilization
| Intensity of Conflict (at highest level) | MEDIUM (street protests, visible mobilization) |
| When did the mobilization begin | Mobilization for reparations once impacts have been felt |
| Groups Mobilizing | Fishermen International ejos Local government/political parties Neighbours/citizens/communities NGOs |
| Forms of Mobilization | Involvement of national and international NGOs Lawsuits, court cases, judicial activism |
Impacts
| Environmental Impacts | Visible: Biodiversity loss (wildlife, agro-diversity), Oil spills, Surface water pollution / Decreasing water (physico-chemical, biological) quality Potential: Soil contamination, Groundwater pollution or depletion |
| Health Impacts | Potential: Other environmental related diseases |
| Socio-economic Impacts | Visible: Loss of livelihood |
Outcome
| Project Status | Stopped |
| Pathways for conflict outcome / response | Compensation Court decision (victory for environmental justice) Under negotiation |
| Do you consider this as a success? | Yes |
| Why? Explain briefly. | The explosion and spill have given rise to many lawsuits. By early December 2010, hundreds of lawsuits had been filed against the companies involved. Lawsuits have been brought in both federal and state courts. On 15 December 2010, the US Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit against BP, Transocean, Anadarko, MOEX (part of Mitsui Oil Exploration) and the insurer of the rig QBE Underwriting/Lloyd’s Syndicate 1036 (part of Lloyds of London). The lawsuit will be included in the consolidated proceedings and includes claims under the Clean Water Act and the Oil Pollution Act. On 15 November 2012 BP announced it had reached a $4.5 billion settlement with the US Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission. BP agreed to plead guilty to 14 criminal charges and to pay a $1.26 billion fine to the Department of Justice. The company will also pay $2.4 billion to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and $350 million to the National Academy of Sciences. BP will also pay $525 million to the Securities and Exchange Commission. |
Sources and Materials
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Meta Information
| Contributor | Elodie Aba |
| Last update | 08/04/2014 |
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