Oil Spill Hearings: BP Official Denies Cost Overruns Trumped Safety
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As the cap into place exactly a week ago continued to stymie the once stubborn flow of oil below the gulf's surface, an investigative panel heard candid testimony from a widow of a rig worker killed during the April 20th rig tragedy.
Natalie Roshto relived some of the words she heard from her husband Shane before he died in the rig blast. "I mean from day one, he deemed this hole a well from hell. he said the earth, he said mother nature just doesn't want to be drilled here." Her husband worked for Trans Ocean, which owned the rig and was operating it for BP's drilling project.
She accused her husband's supervisors of dwarfing safety concerns to save money.
"I want to stress that this industry is vital for our country. and for our men to be out there drilling and their lives being put under business agendas, that's what I want stressed," said Roshto.
A key BP employee followed Roshto. John Guide, a BP Wells Team Leader quickly faced questions from investigator Jason Matthews of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management which replaced the Minerals Management Service. Matthews wanted to know if BP put money ahead of lives.
Matthews asked Guide, "Do you think that BP did everything they could to manage the risk as low as possible?" Guide replied, "Yes, sir."
Though workers from the company Schlumberger were on the rig to conduct a final cement strength test, BP opted against it. Known as a cement bond log, it tests whether cement in the well's casing has gaps and many industry experts call it crucial to assess well stability.
But Guide said all of the other indicators showed the well was in good shape. "We had discussed the job ah everyone involved with the job on the rig site was completely satisfied with the job, had full returns running the casing, full return cementing the casing," Guide said.
But investigator Matthews pressed Guide on the issue. Matthews said, "Which option is cheapest, is not running the cement bond log or running it?" Guide answered, "It's cheaper not to run it."
Matthews also questioned Guide about why less centralizers were used. Centralizers stabilize the well's casing for the cementing process. Matthew asked, "Which option was safest running 21 or 6?" Guide said, "I don't think there was, in my personal opinion either was okay."
Completion of the exploration well was seriously behind schedule, costing BP millions. Matthews continued to question Guide along those lines. Matthews said, "Is it true that decisions were made in large part driven by cost savings on the well as opposed to the actual safety of those employees working on the well?" Guide answered, "Never." Matthews continued, "So cost savings is never in the picture?" Guide again answered, "Never. When it comes to safety, never."
Guide also testified that Trans Ocean was behind on some maintenance. He said, "We bring it to Trans Ocean's attention, sir, and sometimes they have to order parts and stuff like that. Matthew said, " Does BP have the authority to shut down the rig and get this component inspected?" Guide replied, "Yes, sir."
Guide said he tried to let Transocean do its job.
"We had faith that trans ocean was attempting to maintain a safe ah ship," Guide said.
That was not good enough for a Coast Guard investigator. Captain Hung Nguyen told Guide, "In the military we often say that hope is not a plan, it seems to me that faith is not a very good business decision here."
The hearings resume Friday in Kenner as investigators try to get to the bottom of the rig inferno and the resulting oil spill in the gulf. Etiketler: |
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