Death in the Gulf

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Recommended: Essay on the bp oil spill

One year after the worst oil spill in history, a sorry legacy of enduring damage, a people wronged and a region scarred remains (NRDC.org). The BP oil explosion killed eleven employees and spewed approximately one-hundred-and-seventy-million gallons of toxic crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico (NRDC.org).The explosion was caused by a blowout preventer failure which was caused by a piece of drill pipe that resulted in the worst oil spill tragedy in American history. The Gulf of Mexico is the focal point of America’s southeastern region’s economic growth. However, the gulf experienced an agonizing vile catastrophe that affected several thousands miles of coastline. The BP oil spill is undoubtedly the worst oil spill in American history due to the grotesque aftereffects of the region. BP’s massive oil spill was caused by a variation of machinery malfunctions which lead to the massive explosion. The rigs blowout preventer was the main cause of the BP oil spill and explosion. The blowout preventer sits at the well side of exploratory wells and are supposed to lock in place to prevent a spill in case of an explosion (Huffintonpost.com). A Norwegian firm was hired by the government to test the blowout preventer and claimed the drill pipe was positioned within the well-bore causing it to buckle and bow as the well lost control, impending the shear rams (Huffintonpost.com). Shear rams are in a blowout preventer that cut, or shear, through drill pipe and form a seal against pressure (Huffintonpost.com). The blowout preventer failed to work properly because the piece of drill pipe kept its blind shear rams from sealing the well components (Huffintonpost.com). The trapped piece of drill pipe prevented a key failsafe device from properly seal... ... middle of paper ... ...erican history. After the spill, the scenery of the deranged gulf alluded to the grimy haze of a mere swamp land. Marine life that once swam in the vibrant clear water now remained unseen in the loathsome toxic waste. The government and BP both were overwhelmed by the strength of the devastation. Nevertheless, another major calamity is the destruction of the natural habitat and the killing of the marine aquatic life. The BP oil spill unquestionably illustrated the worst oil spill catastrophe in American history. Works Cited Weber, Harry. Kunzelman, Michael “BP Oil Spill Blowout Preventer Failure Caused By Piece Of Drill Pipe”. The Huffintonpost.com. 23 March. 2011. Web 6 September. 2011 “11 Facts about the BP oil spill”. Dosomething.com. 4 March. 2011. Web 1 September. 2011 “Disaster in the Gulf”. NRDC.org. 5 September. 2011.Web 1 September. 2011

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