Real Story. Real Stupid.
If you didn't watch the 2016 film Deepwater Horizon staring Mark Wahlberg don't worry, you didn't miss anything. I watched it and it wasn't very good. It would have been more appealing to me if they had cast Charlie Hunnam as the lead but to be fair, film producers were not aware that Mark Wahlberg does nothing for me.
Deepwater Horizon was a 10-year-old mobile oil rig that was located in the Macondo Prospect in Mississippi Canyon off the Louisiana coast in the Gulf of Mexico. There was a series of stupidity laden decisions and oversights that lead to an explosion that resulted in the largest oil spill in history.
In an oversimplified version of events, this is what happened on April 20th, 2010. First of all, the blowout preventer was leaking hydraulic fluid and had been running on a failed battery. Next, pressure data was misread and higher-ups gave the approval to replace drilling fluid with seawater. Apparently, seawater isn't as heavy as drilling fluid and cannot prevent gas leaking from the well from firing back up the pipe. Lastly, a methane gas bubble escaped the well and shot up the pipe towards the surface which caused an explosion and fire.
Two days later, on April 22nd, 2010 the massive rig known as Deepwater Horizon sank to the bottom of the ocean. A subsequent oil slick begins to spread and eventually covers 68,000 square miles, roughly the size of Oklahoma. The leak continues to spew oil for the following 87 days while experts frantically try to cap the leaking pipe. The pipe was successfully capped on July 15th, 2010.
BP was found responsible along with Transocean and Halliburton. BP was found to be guilty of gross negligence and reckless conduct. Billions of dollars have been paid out in fines and settlements. 11 people were killed on Deepwater Horizon.
Marine life has by far paid the biggest price for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Thousands of protected species were exposed to the oil through inhalation, aspiration, ingesting contaminated sediment, water, prey, or by absorbing it through their skin. This contamination has caused reproductive failure, organ damage, and death.
My two cents: It is heartbreaking to think about all of the terrible unnecessary deaths that were caused because of BP. It has been so many years since the oil spill and an estimated one-third of the oil is still underwater today.
Rating: I give the Deepwater Horizon 5 out of 5 possible slow claps. The result is due to negligence and incompetence largely because of the greed of British Petroleum. The pictures below will speak volumes more than I am able to.
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