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The Rig Explosion In The Gulf of Mexico Continues to Create Problems

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The gulf coast is currently facing a truly troubling set of problems, all stemming from the Gulf of Mexico rig explosion involving the Deepwater Horizon on the 20th of April. As a result of the explosion, 11 people were killed and many more were injured.

Two days after the deadly blast, the rig sunk as a result of the fire and consequently the entrance to the oil well that the rig had been drilling on broke open. At current estimation there are about 1,000 barrels of oil a day leaking from the well, which is roughly 42,000 gallons or 155,400 liter sized bottles of soda.

When there is a break at the opening of a well there is traditionally a safe guard that is set in place to automatically choke off the flow of oil, but it failed to actuate and completely seal. The coastguard is working in correlation with BP, who was leasing the Deepwater Horizon at the time to try and seal off the leaking well. This was to be accomplished by sending down remote controlled deep-sea robots to try and manually actuate the seal. This is all made more difficult by the fact that the entrance to the well is approximately 5,000 feet beneath the water’s surface making it extremely dangerous for people to make the journey.

If the coastguard and BP are not successful in stemming the flow of the oil from the well, then a second more experimental route will be taken. The experimental route is to use a capping device that will work like a hood and be set overtop the leaks opening.

Even with all the work that is being done to mitigate this disaster there has still been a grave toll on the wildlife and industries that rely on the gulf for sustainment. Many fishermen are already speaking out about the impact it will have on their catches and ultimately their bottom line.

However, despite the environmental and financial repercussions caused by the Transocean rig explosion, one can’t forget the toll this disaster has taken on the rig workers and their family members. They have been pressured to sign papers by the maritime companies and Transocean has already made attempts to limit its liability.

If you have been injured on the Deepwater Horizon, contact maritime lawyer Steve Lee for legal advice. This accident will fall under federal maritime law and you could be entitled to compensation.