| Event Date: |
Event Title: |
Event Description: |
| 04/20/2010 |
Fire and explosion
damage rig |
Blaze leads to evacuation of
115 workers; 11 are missing
Rescuers search waters off
Louisiana's coast after an explosion and fire on an
offshore drilling platform leaves seven workers
badly hurt and 11 missing. Most of the 126 people on
board escape safely after the explosion on the
Deepwater Horizon at about 10 p.m. The vessel,
operated by Transocean and leased by BP, was working
about 40 miles offshore. |
| 04/21/2010 |
Rig burns, search for
missing continues |
Rig burns, lists. Officials
blame a blowout.
Transocean said the fire may be caused by a blowout,
the uncontrolled flow of hydrocarbons up the rig's
riser. A blowout preventer, or BOP, didn't engage.
Search for missing continues
Seventeen injured are medevaced, four transferred to
other ships. |
| 04/22/2010 |
Rig sinks, evacuees
reunite with family |
Evacuees reunite with family
in Kenner, La. "My
son had just walked off the drill floor," one man
said. "... If he'd been there five minutes later he
would've been dead."
Rig sinks as crews ready for
possible oil spill
Coast Guard shifts to containment mode. |
| 04/23/2010 |
Risk of spill rises,
search for missing called off |
Sunken rig increases risks of
massive oil spill Crews fear spill of 336,000 gallons a day.
Coast Guard stops search for
missing
Officials notify families.
Investigation heats up
Agencies probe blowout cause. |
| 04/24/2010 |
Leaks discovered in two
places |
42,000 gallons of crude a day
leak from Gulf floor
The spill, which a day earlier
Coast Guard officials believed was contained within
a 16-square-mile area on the surface, now covers
some 400 square miles and could grow as the well
continues to leak. |
| 04/25/2010 |
Crews fail to cap well,
cleanup vessels stuck at port |
BP considers using a dome-like
container that stopped spills after Hurricane
Katrina
High waves and stiff winds keep oil skimmers and
other environmental cleanup vessels at port in
Venice, La., for the better part of the day allowing
the oil slick to widen to about 600 square miles.
Those same heavy weather conditions keep the sheen
safely away from the Louisiana coast. |
| 04/26/2010 |
Spill size triples,
concerns over wildlife grow |
Spill triples in size
Oil slick now covers an estimated 1,800 square miles
(about 1.5 times the size of Rhode Island). BP
recruits a task force of 1,000 to brainstorm fixes.
Oil oozing toward coast could
endanger wildlife
States from Louisiana to Florida are home to
dolphins, sea birds, endangered species, prime
fishing grounds and white-sand beaches. |
| 04/27/2010 |
Cleanup outlook
improves, coastal businesses brace for spill |
BP plans to drill relief well
Better weather aids cleanup; 49 boats work to
contain oil.
Coast Guard prepares for
controlled burn
BP’s Q1 profits double on
higher oil prices
The company is spending $6 million a day on cleanup.
Coastal businesses brace for
disaster |
| 04/28/2010 |
Third leak an issue,
political debate ignites |
Coast Guard begins controlled
burn Obama sends
Cabinet members to help with disaster response.
Spill nears fisheries,
endangered species’ habitats
Concern grows for the Breton Sound, one of the most
productive shrimp and oyster fisheries in the U.S.
Shares of offshore drilling
firms tank
Political debate ignites over
offshore plans |
| 04/29/2010 |
Louisiana declares state
of emergency |
Cleanup continues, SWAT
investigates safety on other Gulf rigs
Workers combat oil with booms, chemicals and fire to
limit the damage to the Mississippi River delta.
Shrimpers take advantage of early season to harvest
their commercial catch. Officials revise estimates
of spill volume to 210,000 gallons a day. |
| 04/30/2010 |
Feds want to suspend
offshore drilling pending investigation |
Officials call for halt in new
drilling until cause is known
Interior Department inspectors board deepwater
platforms in the Gulf of Mexico and Louisiana
mobilizes the National Guard as the expanding slick
moves toward the coast.
Federal and state leaders lash
out at BP Company
responds that it launched “the largest response
effort ever done in the world” to slow the disaster
and limit its impact. |
| 05/01/2010 |
Nearly 2 million
gallons of crude have spewed into Gulf |
Officials say the slicks
leading edge will reach Louisiana coastline in the
next few days
Experts warn that oil also could threaten Florida
Keys. NOAA estimates nearly 2 million gallons have
spilled into the Gulf. The Exxon Valdez spill dumped
11 million gallons in Alaskan waters in 1989.
Gulf Coast reacts to the
disaster Fishermen
unable to ply their trade are recruited for spill
cleanup. |
| 05/02/2010 |
President visits, BP
blames faulty equipment |
BP blames faulty blowout
preventer, builds containment box for spill
The low-tech strategy has never been tried before
President Obama visits
Louisiana Interior
secretary calls spill a 'grave scenario.’ Obama
promises no resource will be spared in disaster
response, while BP continues five-pronged strategy
for stopping leaks. |
| 05/03/2010 |
Toll on wildlife rises,
BP pledges to pay for cleanup |
BP takes responsibility for
cleaning up the spill
The company says it will pay compensation for
“legitimate and objectively verifiable” claims.
President Obama, state attorneys ask BP to explain
what exactly that means.
Dead sea turtles, fish wash up
on beaches
Spill comes at worst possible
time for fishermen |
| 05/04/2010 |
Coastal winds stall
slick's landfall |
Coast Guard: 'Gift of time'
keeps oil from shore
Oil won't reach land for at least three days,
officials say. Alabama deploys 800,000 feet of boom
to protect coasts.
Spill hits Chandeleur Sound,
La.
Transocean's legal, safety
woes mount
Texas politicians weigh in |
| 05/05/2010 |
Containment box en
route to Gulf |
Crews load giant contraption
on barge Engineers
race to place a huge structure on top of the spill
to funnel the crude into a tanker.
Survivors recall details of
blast
Spill shouldn't affect oil
prices, experts say
BP may try "top kill" idea |
| 05/06/2010 |
Oil washes ashore on
islands in Louisiana |
Lawmakers work to raise lid on
BP's liability
Containment box arrives at
disaster site
Crabbers catch is gone, future
for livelihood bleak
Spill more like Apollo 13 than
Exxon Valdez, Coast Guard official says |
| 05/07/2010 |
Crews lower 100-ton box
over the blown-out well |
Work at site initially on hold
due to fire hazards
Feds officially suspend new offshore drilling
permits; Salazar says move is retroactive to April
20.
Florida beaches still in the
clear Forecasters
estimate it will take at least five more days to
reach the state's shores. |
| 05/08/2010 |
Ice, slush clog
containment box |
Deep-sea ice crystals stymie
containment effort
Setback comes as balls of tar wash up on Alabama
islands
Spill threatens seafood market
Fishing ban extended to May 17, cutting into
domestic seafood harvest.
Critics blame energy lobby for
lax safety rules
Capitol Hill spotlight shines on massive amounts of
money spent by oil and gas companies on political
contributions and lobbying of Congress and federal
regulatory agencies. |
| 05/09/2010 |
Chemicals to fight
spill also could hurt wildlife |
Never before has so much
dispersant been used on a single site Effect on
ecosystems unknown.
After containment box failure,
BP considers other options to stem flow
Smaller box, cuts in riser pipe, "top kill" and
deicing large box among ideas.
Alabama officials use
makeshift lock system to protect seaport
Transocean asked workers to
sign legal docs soon after accident
|
| 05/10/2010 |
BP sprays dispersant at
leak source |
EPA gives the go-ahead to
continuously spray chemicals underwater
Dispersants have never been
tried at a depth of 5,000 feet.
BP again tries to distance
itself from spill
Pointing finger at contractors, the British oil
giant tries to place blame elsewhere.
Obama administration response
timeline deemed 'aggressive'
Documents, interviews show little resemblance to
slow federal reaction to Hurricane Katrina. |
| 05/11/2010 |
Execs point finger at
each other in Congressional hearings |
BP, Transocean and Halliburton
aim to minimize their roles in the disaster
In separate investigation, Coast Guard and MMS hear
details of rescue
Salazar proposes splitting MMS
in two One arm
would oversee leases, the other safety and
inspections.
Texas judge bars BP,
Transocean and other parties from destroying spill
records
BP aims to seal leak with golf
balls, rope
Spill swells to 4 million
gallons |
| 05/12/2010 |
Investigation finds
litany of ills |
What went wrong at oil rig? A
lot, probers find
Bad wiring and a leak in the blowout preventer,
sealing problems that may have allowed a methane
eruption, even a dead battery could have contributed
to the disaster.
BP releases video of the
leaking pipe. An
estimated 200,000 gallons a day pour into the Gulf.
States scramble for booms |
| 05/13/2010 |
Spill puts thousands of
jobs in jeopardy |
Drilling contractors fear
drilling permits ban will cost thousands of jobs in
Gulf Coast states.
Records that could have helped
investigators went down with the Deepwater Horizon.
Judge grants Transocean a stay
in spill-related cases.
After spill, West Coast
senators move to bar offshore drilling in Pacific
states.
Containment at the sea floor
is now "one or the other:" dome or insertion tube. |
| 05/14/2010 |
BP turns to two-pronged
containment strategy |
As BP tries to plug the leak,
feds OK more aggressive use of dispersants.
Obama scolds execs over spill
blame game.
Spill threatens birds
throughout the Gulf.
If they are killed by an oil spill anywhere in the
Gulf, they will not return to Texas for harvest or
to serve as food for birds or other larger
organisms.
Anadarko pays dearly for
passive interest in Gulf well. |
| 05/15/2010 |
Armchair critics offer
cleanup advice |
Politicians, average Joes with
solutions clamor for BP's attention.
The more determined idea pushers seek media coverage
of their plans, and those with a solution that
translates visually post Web videos.
Oil stays about 150 miles from
Texas shore. After
tour of BP facility Gov. Rick Perry says dispersants
are working. |
| 05/16/2010 |
4-inch tube
successfully threaded into pipeline |
After two misfires, tube
begins siphoning oil.
Stars help out fishermen with
Gulf Aid concert.
Music fans brave a downpour in New Orleans to raise
money for fishermen affected by the spill.
Spill lawsuits could drag on
for years.
|
| 05/17/2010 |
Insertion tube placed
successfully |
On third try, tube in place to
siphon oil to waiting tanker
Plan is to start slowly and work up to full capacity
in coming days. BP also prepares to block well with
"junk shot"; drilling of relief well is halfway
done. Meanwhile, a worker who survived the rig fire
says during a test of the blowout preventer four
weeks before the accident, a crewman accidentally
moved 15 feet of pipe through the closed device.
Later, a worker found chunks of rubber in the
drilling fluid from the pipe's gasket. |
| 05/18/2010 |
BP readies for "top
kill" procedure |
Heavy drilling fluids, cement
might seal well
Feds create independent panel
to investigate accident
Gulf spill faces inquiry at similar level to that of
the Three Mile Island disaster
BP, Transocean execs testify
on Capitol Hill
|
| 05/19/2010 |
Oil reaches Louisiana
marshlands |
Concern grows that oil will
enter the Loop Current and be pulled toward the
Florida Keys.
Scientist says NOAA ignores
spill findings, punishes dissenters.
Government lax on permitting
but more drilling inevitable, says Salazar
Suit says regulators gutted
drilling rules without notice.
|
| 05/20/2010 |
Beleaguered MMS to be
split in three |
Interior secretary signs order
dividing MMS to avoid conflicts of interest.
Lawmakers grill BP on use of
particular chemical as a dispersant.
Corexit maker had corporate ties to BP.
Lawsuit says Transocean misled
investors on BOP safety.
Shareholders contend effectiveness of blowout
preventer was overstated, leading to inflated stock
price. |
| 05/21/2010 |
BP concedes its spill
size estimate is wrong |
With insertion tube collecting
5,000 barrels a day, leak must be larger.
Independent scientists say video of undersea leak
indicates flow could be 10,000 to 20,000 barrels a
day.
Regulators tell BP to switch
spill chemicals.
Feds urge use of a less toxic dispersant to protect
wildlife. |
| 05/22/2010 |
BP wants to keep using
controversial dispersant |
Corexit is the best option, BP
COO says, despite EPA concerns about toxicity.
Fishermen begin to realize
scope of the disaster.
Oily onslaught could halt their way of life.
Bipartisan leaders named to
independent spill investigation panel. |
| 05/23/2010 |
Capitol Hill hearings
are informative "show trials" |
Nine hearings, three briefings
and dozens more scheduled as Congress investigates
spill.
Concern grows about blowout
preventers' effectiveness in deep water.
Salazar expresses doubts about
BP's ability to handle spill. |
| 05/24/2010 |
Protesters demand BP be
shut down over spill |
Activists urge "crude
awakening" from thrall of Big Oil.
Protesters say government should take over
containment, cleanup.
BP CEO Tony Hayward tours
oil-stained Louisiana beaches.
White House defends its role
in cleanup. |
| 05/25/2010 |
Memorial held for 11
killed in blast |
As they grieve, families grasp
for details of loved ones' final moments.
Judge who issued stays on
spill-related lawsuits hears from lawyers
The question: Whether to join cases together as
multidistrict litigation.
Seven issues contributed to
disaster, BP says. |
| 05/26/2010 |
MMS staff took energy
firms' gifts, report says |
Probe focused on Lake Charles,
La. office. Federal
employees accepted lunches, football tickets,
hunting trips and other gifts from the oil and gas
companies they were in charge of policing.
Experts share their doubts
about well's design.
BP begins top kill to seal the
well. |
| 05/27/2010 |
Top kill moves forward |
Procedure is going as planned,
BP CEO says.
Spill estimate rises to
12,000-19,000 barrels a day.
Slick’s size now surpasses Exxon Valdez.
Witnesses say arguments,
failure to heed data clues preceded fire.
MMS head steps down.
Obama announces new steps to
deal with spill
Plan includes six-month ban on offshore drilling
permits. |
| 05/28/2010 |
BP exec claims cleanup
could take just a few weeks |
Damage to Gulf has been
overplayed, BP official says.
Company's top oil spill adviser claims the most
damaging aspects of the slick could be cleaned up by
the end of the summer.
Bureau of Land Management
leader takes over as head of MMS
Obama visits affected areas
President vows feds and BP will resolve "nightmare"
in the Gulf. |
| 05/29/2010 |
Top kill effort fails |
BP's most ambitious effort to
stem the leak meets with defeat
President Obama calls the setback "as enraging as it
is heartbreaking." Next step will be to cut and cap
the leaking pipe. |
| 05/30/2010 |
Cut-and-cap plan moves
ahead |
New effort to stanch leak
won't catch all of the crude.
Latest plan could increase flow through pipe by 20
percent before it's capped.
BP CEO tells reporters no one
wants the spill handled more than he does.
"You know, I'd like my life back," he says. Three
days later, he apologizes for insensitivity to Gulf
residents. |
| 05/31/2010 |
BP CEO says there's "no
evidence" of undersea oil plumes |
Government and independent
scientists warn of unseen deepwater oil disaster.
BP Chief Tony Hayward says oil naturally gravitates
toward surface, so undersea plumes would just be
making their way up. |
| 06/01/2010 |
Department of Justice
announces federal probe |
President Obama vows that the
responsible parties must be prosecuted for "the
greatest environmental disaster of its kind."
Attorney General Eric Holder says the government
must determine whether criminal or civil laws were
violated.
Start of hurricane season
worries Gulf meteorologists.
Some fear a horrific combination of damaging winds
and large waves pushing oil deeper into estuaries
and wetlands and coating miles of debris-littered
coastline. |
| 06/02/2010 |
Cut-and-cap dealt a
setback |
A saw stuck in the riser pipe
stalls latest containment effort, Coast Guard says.
Procedure hinges on getting a clean cut of the riser
pipe.
Environmental groups plan to
sue under Clean Water Act.
|
