The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is as tragic as it was avoidable. It is the largest marine oil spill in history resulting in 205.8 million gallons (4.9 million barrels) of oil leaked from the Macondo oil field well that was developed by BP. The oil that leaked from this well contaminated over 665 miles of United States coastline, and caused massive damage along the gulf coastline to a variety of environments: environmental, economic, and social. (Repanich) This resulted in a civil lawsuit filed by the US Justice Department against BP, Transocean, and Halliburton for damages to the environment. Thousands of individual lawsuits were filed by coastal residents who lost their source of revenue due to the spill. This discussion will delve into the causes and effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill with a focus on the ethical dilemma of the situation, as well as the effects it has on all the various stakeholders involved.
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill occurred April 20, 2010 through September 19, 2010, and the effects are still being observed today. Drilling had begun in February 2010 at a water depth of approximately 5,000 feet. BP planned to drill the well to 18,000 feet, and was going to plug and abandon it so that the process would be completed and ready for production. However, this process was cut short as a result of a massive explosion that engulfed the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in flames, causing the structural integrity of the drilling rig to be compromised. The cause behind the explosion is highly debated, as well as being under the scrutiny of several intense investigations.
The existing theory about what led to the explosion is as follows. Workers on the rig were performing their typical daily duties with "no indication of any problems". (Cleveland) The only process the rig itself was engaged in preceding the explosion was drilling. Large pipes that were to be used for production were being inserted and cemented into the...