Click Here For a detailed spreadsheet on a Deepwater Horizon events timeline.
Macondo Prospect: Deepwater Horizon Site
The site of the Deepwater Horizon explosion was named Macondo Prospect. This is the same name of the fictional cursed town in “One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It was given this name as a common practice in the oil industry to code name sites they have picked before sale of the area. This does two things: one, ensures secrecy before the site is bought. Second, it gives a more easily identified name than the official name given to the site by Mineral Management Services. Each year, their names are themed, much like Hurricanes start each year with a new alphabetical order. MMS uses themes like beverages or cartoon characters. None, however, have reference to the literal geographic area of the site.**
The site of the Deepwater Horizon explosion was named Macondo Prospect. This is the same name of the fictional cursed town in “One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It was given this name as a common practice in the oil industry to code name sites they have picked before sale of the area. This does two things: one, ensures secrecy before the site is bought. Second, it gives a more easily identified name than the official name given to the site by Mineral Management Services. Each year, their names are themed, much like Hurricanes start each year with a new alphabetical order. MMS uses themes like beverages or cartoon characters. None, however, have reference to the literal geographic area of the site.**
BP started the lease on the Macondo sight in March of 2008, three months before President Bush was to lift his ban on off-shore drilling; and six before the legislative ban was lifted as well. Drilling gained approval to drill from MMS in March of 2009 and began an exploration well.
On October 7, 2009 the Transeocean Marianas rig began drilling. It reached 4,023 ft and was stopped on November 29, 2009 due to damage suffered in Hurricane Ida. In February of 2010, the Deepwater Horizon rig replaced the damaged Marianas rig and commenced drilling again, a project already behind schedule and over budget due to the change in rigs. Deepwater Horizon was built by South Korean company Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd**; the world’s largest shipbuilder, providing 15% of the world’s ships.
Cement Testing, or Lack Thereof
Deepwater Horizon's cement for its well was supplied by Halliburton. The fight over who is to blame for the explosion on April 20th has been back and forth between the two giant corporations. The cement needs to be tested repeatedly before being put into a well. Furthermore, it must pass each and every test, thus ensuring that the mixture is strong enough to be used. The cement mixture for Deepwater Horizon was tested in the following way:
Cement Testing, or Lack Thereof
Deepwater Horizon's cement for its well was supplied by Halliburton. The fight over who is to blame for the explosion on April 20th has been back and forth between the two giant corporations. The cement needs to be tested repeatedly before being put into a well. Furthermore, it must pass each and every test, thus ensuring that the mixture is strong enough to be used. The cement mixture for Deepwater Horizon was tested in the following way:
- Two tests were done in February, but Halliburton claims they are irrelevant because a different formula was used and the tests were done before conditions were known at the bottom of the well.
- The third test was performed in April, but done incorrectly. Halliburton states that BP was made aware of the problem.
- The fourth test followed the correct procedure, and was successful; thus approving the cement for use on the Deepwater well.
- After this fourth test, BP asked for more changes to the cement, this final mixture was never tested.*
