Goal For The Green

We are NOW on day 96, since the blow-out preventor exploded, on BP’s Deep Water Horizon (Macondo Well).  On April 20th, that explosion killed 11 workers, and has triggered the worst environmental disaster in U.S. History.

Within, the next 48 hours, we can expect an announcement, from BP stating, that their future, does NOT include Tony Hayward!  That’s right, he is stepping down.

Hayward, has come under close scrutiny and harsh criticism, from Congress, the Obama Administration, and investment analysts, for events leading up to the disaster.  Hayward, has been considered to be insensitive, to the entire situation, both in his comments and response (or lack thereof), to the situation.  He has been bad publicity for the OIL giant.

Since the April disaster, the company has struggled to, not only stop the flow of oil, but the flow of bad publicity.  There have been many attempts to correct the situation, most of which, were met by FAILURE.  Complaints about the speed (or lack of) payment of claims to gulf residents, to doctoring photographs on its Web site, and even commercials, have come under attack.  Some analysts feel, Hayward’s exit, would be a statement that someone, IS taking full responsibility.

One of the front-runners to succeed Hayward, would be Robert Dudley, a Mississippi native, who joined BP from Amoco, after the two companies merged in 1998. Dudley, who was just put in charge of leading gulf coast cleanup efforts, would be the first American to run the company, originally known as, British Petroleum.

According to a source, close to the company, other top executives might also be ousted. That decision would, however, be left to the new chief executive. The source wished to remain annonymous.

Among the executives whose positions are widely considered to be in peril, are Andy Inglis, the Houston-based head of global exploration and production, who is also leading the relief well effort.  Doug Suttles, the chief operating officer, who has played a prominent public role in addressing questions, about BP’s response to claims, and cleanup issues. Lamar McKay, the president of BP America, who had no responsibility for the exploration well, but who has been given the daunting task, of defending the company before Congress.

Can You Believe It?

Long before an eruption of gas, turned the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, into an inferno, an alarm system designed to alert the crew, and prevent combustible gases from reaching potential sources of ignition, had been deliberately disabled, the former chief electronics technician on the rig, testified Friday. The reason, leadership of the rig, did not want crew members, needlessly awakened in the middle of the night, should anything go WRONG!

Michael Williams, an ex-Marine, who survived the April 20 inferno, by jumping from the burning rig, told a federal panel probing the disaster, that the alarm system was one of an array of critical systems, that had been functioning unreliably, leading up to the blowout.

If the safety system was disabled, it would not have been a unique event. Records of federal enforcement actions, reviewed by The Washington Post show that, in case after case, rig operators paid fines, for allegedly bypassing safety systems, that could impede routine operations.

Earlier in the drilling operation, one of the panels that controlled the blowout preventer — the last line of defense against a gusher — had been placed in bypass mode, to work around a malfunction, Williams said.

Williams said a colleague told him that an inspection of the rig in the Spring, shortly before the disaster, found extensive maintenance problems. The colleague said “that we were going to be in the shipyard, a lot longer than anticipated, because the rig was in very bad condition,” Williams said.

The rig was owned by TransOcean, the company that employs Williams, and was operating under contract to BP.

Richard Godfrey, an attorney for BP, added to the picture, by reading from a September 2009, BP audit during his questioning, of Williams.  He read a lengthy list of findings, that included problems with bilge pumps, cooling pumps, and the alarm system related to the rig’s hospital and an emergency shutdown panel, on the bridge.

A fire and alarm system, was found to have its “override active,” Godfrey said.
Altogether, the September audit, identified 390 issues that needed addressing,he said.  Williams added, ” the fire and gas system was “a wreck” when he took over his job in 2009, and trying to improve it, was a constant battle.”

Every member of the Deepwater Horizon crew, had the authority to stop operations, if they had safety concerns. Despite his unease, Williams said he never exercised that power. In days of testimony, by a parade of witnesses, that has been a recurring theme.

Williams said that when he discovered that the alarm system was “inhibited” he reported it to supervisors, and they informed him, that orders were to keep it that way.

In the event of a gas leak, the rig was equipped to shut down vents, that could transmit the gas to the engine rooms, where it could ignite.  But, there was no guarantee the system would work.  When, it was accidentally triggered once, Williams said, the suction from the engine, was so great that it pulled a fire door, off its hinges.

Williams himself, was injured in the explosion.  He was taken by helicopter, from a rescue ship, to a Louisiana hospital. He was interviewed,  by Transocean lawyers, at a Kenner hotel, about a day after the blowout, said his attorney, Scott R. Bickford.

Transocean said, in a statement that, the Deepwater Horizon’s general alarm system was controlled by a person, on the bridge “to prevent the general alarm from sounding unnecessarily.”  Transocean, provided part of an April inspection report, that found “no [gas] detectors to be either in fault, or inhibited condition, other than units being serviced.”

In other testimony Friday, an expert consultant, to the investigating board said, that based on available data, it appeared that the Deepwater Horizon, conducted four faulty integrity tests on the well, in the hours before the blowout.

“The fact that the test, was apparently attempted four times, indicates that someone on the rig was concerned,” said John R. Smith.  He is an, associate professor of petroleum engineering, at Louisiana State University, a consultant to the board, and an industry veteran. “None of the four tests, were an acceptable test.  Apparently, when BP concluded the tests, hydrocarbons were already flowing up the well.”

Going on the assumption, that at least one of the tests was successful, BP prepared to wrap up its work on the well, by removing heavy drilling fluid, from the hole. The fluid serves as a damper on the well, and removing it eliminated, a counterweight, to a potential gusher.

So, there you have it.  BP, knew about the dangers, ahead of time, and did NOTHING, to prevent the disaster.  It is about time, things are starting to shake up, at the TOP of BP, starting with the EXIT of Tony Hayward.  But, why the BIG DELAY, on kicking some butt?

Our chief executive officer, President  Barack Obama, has effectively walked, the clean  BP, factory floor. When it comes to managing the federal response, to the Gulf oil spill, it has been pitiful, and SLOW.  He has twisted arms, in the boardroom, by wringing a $20 billion commitment from BP.  But, what was THAT, talk about kicking butt, with out taking REAL action? Why, did it take him so long to talk to BP’s chief ?  He could  have had, Tony Hayward’s A$$, on the phone, in a New York milli-second.  He is the President, of course, the head of  our NATION.  He’s accountable to the public, and this countries citizens, NOT to shareholders and executives, of major OIL companies! Government and politics, DO differ from effective corporate management. But, there has been little EFFECTIVENESS, or proper MANAGEMENT, of this entire DISASTER.  In my opinion, it has just been more CRAP, meaning Corporate Residual Accumulated Pollution!  What do you think?