Deepwater Horizon Oil SpillApril 20, 2010

Dr. David Blockstein, Senior ScientistThe National Council for the Science and the Environment

www.eoearth.org/oceanoil

Deepwater Horizon offshore oil platform (well)

Largest marine oil spill in history

Oil gushed for 86 days into the ocean

Owned by British Petroleum (BP OIL)

Exploded April 20, 2010

Sank two days later

In 5,000 feet of water

Deepwater Horizon offshore oil platform (well) had an explosion, then a fire and sank two days later, in 5,000 feet of water

50 miles southeast of Mississippi River delta, in the Gulf of Mexico.

126 workers were rescued, but 11 workers died. Many attempts to stop the gushing of oil into the

ocean

86 days after the explosion, the oil was stopped by capping it off.

Gulf Of Mexico Oil DisasterApril 20, 2010

Deepwater Horizon Oil Well

Before

After

Firefighters combat the fire

Credit: Transocean

Credit: U.S. Coast Guard

What Happened?

The sinking of the platform ruptured a pipe (riser) causing crude oil to gush out

Oil covered the ocean, the size of South Carolina

Oil came ashore in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, killing wildlife in Louisiana

Seafood could not be eaten or sold

Beaches closed, tourists stayed home, jobs were lost, businesses closed, concerns with health,…

Oil gushed for 86 days, covering the ocean the size of South Carolina

Why is there a oil well in the ocean?

The Gulf of Mexico is peppered with thousands of oil platforms

The need for oil and gas is increasing

Supplies from war torn countries became more difficult to get and cost more….

We looked for sources in the U.S.

The Gulf of Mexico has been a major supplier of oil and gas to America for nearly 50 years

We have already gotten the oil from easy, near-shore, shallow waters, now-

Energy companies now focused on oil and gas resources in deeper, more difficult waters of 1,000 feet and beyond.

Map of the northern Gulf of Mexico showing the nearly 4,000 active oil and gas platforms.

Credit: NOAA

How was a oil well put in the ocean?

Remotely controlled robots; 3&4-D seismic

info.; 1 billion dollars per deep oil field.

Left to right…….

1.Onshore platform

2. Fixed platform

3. Jackup rig

4. Semi-submersible

5. Drill ship

6. Tension leg platform.

Credit: BOEMRE

An immediate challenge is to gain a better understanding of the deepwater environment

and the issues that arise from operating at these depths.

One mile deep

Blow out preventer

5 stories tall380 tons

Controlled burns

The cleanup attempt…….

The attempted cleanup……

Aerial application of chemical dispersant to surface oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil platform. Credit: U.S. Coast Guard.

Other attempts to contain the oil…. ………..from the beaches……

Construction of sand berms

U.S. Environmental Services' workers movingOIL CONTAINMENT BOOM onto a supply boat in Venice, La., April 29, 2010.

Credit: Washington Department of Ecology

Method to contain……. in the ocean

Dome to capture and recover escaping oil

Oil captured and pumped one mile to oil tanker on surface of water

Early Response -

Note

Attempted –

Top Kill Junk Shot

Move to Collection

All failed or were ineffective

Stopping the spill: the five-month effort to kill the Macondo well

BOW -Blow out preventer

five stories, 380 tons

2. Relief well was completed at a depth of 17,977 feet. After 2 failed attempts. Sept. 15, 2010

3. Cement was pumped into the well to permanently seal it.

What finally worked?3 stages -

1. Cap was placed on top of the BOP after a 20 foot pair of shears had cut the riser from the BOP, stopping the oil for the first time. June 3, 2010

Relief well: a well drilled to intersect an oil or gas well that has undergone a blowout.

The well w

ill remain se

aled and abandoned, along w

ith th

e first

two unsu

ccess

ful relie

f wells

Why do we even use oil?

Why do we even use oil?

Oil is the world’s most important energy source

Plays vital role in society around the world

Needed for economic growth – industry, agriculture, transportation, heat, cooking, food storage, products, medicine…

Equipment, autos, homes, etc., designed to use oil, not other sources

Other sources are not yet able to supply enough energy for the world’s needs.

Why do you care?

Why do you care? Impact from the oil spill

Fish, shrimp, oysters could not be eaten, or sold

The trip to the mall got more expensive because…….

Gas prices went up around the world

Food got more expensive Water birds, turtles, marine

life killed or harmed Businesses closed, People lost jobs, Beautiful beaches unsafe… Vacations canceled Major food source was

harmed

Provides 50% of the air you breatheFood sourceMedicines

TransportationRecreation

Biodiversity and future lifeJobs

Recreation

Benefits of the ocean

Oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill pools against the Louisiana coast along Barataria Bay.

Credit: Associated Press

Oil reached the beaches of NW Florida

Water filled boom, which broke during Hurricane Alex. Oil collected in pools on Grand Isle Beach, Louisiana.

So it has gone away…..right?

Where is “away”?

There is no “away”……….

How can you

help make the USE of petroleum go away?

How YOUcan help make the USE of petroleum go away……….

Educate yourself on wise energy consumption

Make choices that lessen the use of oil – transportation, idling motor, conservation, efficiency, etc.

Know the difference between good science and “junk science”

Be prepared to vote with an informed opinion on energy choices

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