Oil drilling is the process of perforating oil from the earth’s surface. This process can be dangerous. The drilling process can be harmful to nearby animal life. The process used to locate oil waves can be harmful to animal life. When the oil ascends, it brings with it a number of deadly chemicals. The chemicals released can consist of mercury and arsenic. Other substances such as lead have been known to ascend with the oil (Horton, Jennifer, 1).
An oil spill is the process by which oil is mistakenly dispensed. The danger and damage an oil spill can cause is exponential. An oil spill can cause millions of dollars in damages. Oil spills are one of the worst catastrophes that happen, and they happen frequently. It has been predicted by the Mineral Management Service, that a spill of one thousand oil drums will occur in the Gulf of Mexico every year (Horton, Jennifer, 1). It is expected that there will be a spill of more than ten thousand oil drums every three or more years (Horton, Jennifer, 1). Oil spills have been defined as inevitable (Climate & Energy, 1). As of now, there exists no truly safe way of cleaning a spill (Climate & Energy, 1).
The oil spill that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 was one of the worst oil spills that has ever occurred (Clean & Energy, 1). The Gulf of Mexico oil spill by British Petroleum is the largest environmental catastrophe in the history of the United States (Clean & Energy, 1). Over two hundred million gallons of oil was released into the Gulf of Mexico (Clean & Energy, 1). The oil flowed for approximately three months (Clean & Energy, 1). Within that time period, the spill was responsible for eleven human deaths (Clean & Energy, 1). Extensive damage was done to the environme...
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Gerstein, J. (2010). The Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill by the Numbers. The Daily Green. Retrieved
Besides the accidental spillage affecting severe damage to the environment and then causing harm to humans, there are direct impacts on human health from oil. Problems suc...
April, 20th 2010; The Gulf of Mexico was exquisite, marvelous, and teeming with life. An ominous and enormous drilling rig cruised across the sea. The vessel was collectedly searching for oil. The crew found a massive oiling spot, buried underneath the ocean. The crew hastily begins drilling without safety precautions, ignoring local wildlife and habitats nearby. After eliciting oil from underneath the ocean; the crew recklessly begun siphoning cement into the gaping hole. Suddenly, a vociferous boom arises from the ocean floor; the malodorous scent filled the air, as heaps of oil drifted to the surface. This oil polluted oblivious animals, looming coral and trees, and alluring shores; turning the once exquisite coast into a mung, oily marsh. Do you want more oil-based catastrophes such as the BP Oil Spill, to continue ratifying the environment?
On April 20, 2010, the Macondo wellhead BP pipe leaked crude oil and gas on the ocean floor into the Gulf of Mexico 42 miles off the Louisiana coast (Gulf Oil Spill). This oil spill is known as the largest spill in U.S. history. The pipe was located 5,000 feet underwater where there are temperatures just above freezing and extremely high pressures (Gulf Oil Spill). Oil spewed from this pipe non-stop for 87 days (Gulf Oil Spill). About twenty percent of it ended up on the ocean floor or on the surface (Gulf Oil Spill). Since it’s hydrophobic, the oil on the surface spreads out and forms slicks. These slicks greatly affect ecosystems and animals. The oil that didn’t end up on the floor or surface hovered in the middle of the ocean, forming layers of oil (Gulf Oil Spill). All 200 million gallons of crude oil mixed throughout the ocean and affected coastal and deep-sea sediments (Gulf Oil Spill). Although the pipe was capped on July 15, 2010 (Gulf Oil Spill), much of the oil still remains on the Gulf floor today.
Every year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, 1.3 million gallons of oil are spilled into U.S. waters from vessels and pipelines in a typical year. A major oil spill could easily double that amount (Thompson, "The Science and History of Oil Spills"). These oil spills not only destroy thousands of miles of oceans, they also cause billions of dollars worth of destruction to an economy. Oil spills occur when there is an accidental or intentional release of oil during any point in the oil production process. Oil spills are most common when a pipeline breaks, ships collide or are grounded, underground storage tanks leak, or when an oil rig explodes or is damaged (Thompson, "The Science and History of Oil Spills"). Another common, naturally
The 2010 BP oil spill ultimately affected both people and the environment, polluting and damaging large areas and vast populations of wildlife. The BP oil spill caused took a toll on marine life, human life, and the economy, including the fishing and tourism industry in the Gulf of Mexico. Many factors such as Petroleum toxicity, oxygen depletion, and much more can be viewed as the major sources of the disaster which led to the negative impact on wildlife. It is very clear that an oil spill is recognized to be a disaster for both for people and the environment, any tragedy of this scale would clearly bring forth regulations that will attempt to prohibit the same calamity from happening again.
Because it is the most highly publicized of the different forms of ocean pollution, oil spills, oil leakages, and general oil contamination are something that we all seem to be aware of. Since the Exxon Valdez incident, the American public in particular has been more and more critical of oil companies.Each year, over 700 million gallons of oil end up in the ocean. Contrary to what you may have thought, most oil pollution doesn't come from tanker accidents. In fact, tanker accidents account for less than 90 million of the g...
On April 20, 2010, the Gulf of Mexico experienced a disaster unprecedented in scale and environmental impact. Fifty miles off the coast of Louisiana in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, a BP drilling rig suffered an explosion that claimed eleven lives and caused the rig to sink over 5000 ft. to the sea bed floor. This was the beginning of the BP oil spill which spanned over eighty seven days, releasing an approximate 2.3 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Although the flow of oil into the Gulf was contained July 15, 2010, the lasting effects of the oil spill on the environment continue to be devastating and widespread. (Kirkwood 1)
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, BP 2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill, Sean Edward Paquette, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute – Hartford, Connecticut and Professor Ernesto Gutierrez-Miravete, Ph.D
Most people believe that one man-made natural disaster would teach us to be better, but we have learned that history repeats itself. The Exxon Valdez oil spill (in 1989) and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, or BP oil spill, (in 2010) were both devastating oil spills that shocked the nation. The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred due to a tanker grounding. The BP oil spill was caused by an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform. These two oil spills were both disasters and had greater effects in certain categories. In this essay, I will be comparing the cause of both oil spills, the damage/effect of both oil spills, and the cleanup of each oil spill.
Introduction: British Petroleum is a big name in the Oil industries. It is counted as one among the seven super major oil and gas producing organizations. Main focus of the business is to extract oil, generating energy, making lubricants and petrochemicals for individual customers as well as the other related companies. British Petroleum is a multinational company operating its business in more than 70 countries. (bp.com)
Oil spills, no matter large or small, have long been of concern to pollution control authorities in this country. Due to its destructive nature, once an area has been contaminated by oil, the whole character of the environment is changed. When it has encountered something solid to cling to, whether it be a beach, a rock, the feathers of a duck or gull, or a bather’s hair, it does not readily let go (Stanley, 1969). By its nature o...
In April of 2010 the United States experienced the worst oil spill in its history (Barron 2012). The company BP had a massive explosion on one of their rigs about 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana, which came to be known as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The collapse of the rig and the accident took the lives of 11 people and the open well began gushing oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The spill continued from April 20, 2010 until the well was sealed on July 15, 2010. The well flushed out an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil over a total of 87 days at a depth of 5,000 feet (Barron 2012). The ecological effects were some of the worst we have ever seen. Multiple species of animal were seen covered in oil on shores, fish floating dead in oil slicks, dolphins swimming through the oil and eventually beaching themselves, birds whose feathers were drenching in crude oil preventing them from flying.
Winston A, 2010, Five Lessons from the BP Oil Spill, Harvard Business Review, accessed 1 April 2014,