DATE OF DISASTER: APRIL 20, 2010

COMPANIES INVOLVED:
- BRITISH PETROLEUM (Leased Deepwater Horizon)
- HALLIBURTON (Oil Services Contractor for Deepwater Horizon)
- TRANSOCEAN LTD. (Owns Deepwater Horizon)

BP gas stations, feeling the backlash from angry consumers boycotting their pumps, are going to get money from BP in order to stay in business.

BP says it will give cash and other help to the owners, operators and suppliers of BP-branded gas stations around the United States. The stations have been struggling because of boycotts prompted by the oil spill. John Kleine of the BP Amoco Marketers Association told The Associated Press on Tuesday that outlets would get cash based on volume, with the rates being higher for those in the Gulf States. They will also have lower credit card fees and get help with national advertising. Some stations have reported sales declines of 10 percent to 40 percent since the April 20 rig explosion.

We are fighting… for the safety and security of you and your family. Making cruise lines, other commercial facilities, and products safer and more secure, one case at a time.

CONTACT US AND SEE OUR RESULTS AT: www.hickeylawfirm.com and CALL US TOLL FREE AT 1.800.215.7117.

Primary Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/30/us/30latest.html

DATE OF DISASTER: APRIL 20, 2010

COMPANIES INVOLVED:
- BRITISH PETROLEUM (Leased Deepwater Horizon)
- HALLIBURTON (Oil Services Contractor for Deepwater Horizon)
- TRANSOCEAN LTD. (Owns Deepwater Horizon)

Tropical Storm Alex is still looming around the Gulf of Mexico but thankfully will most likely not cause problems for oil spill cleanup workers.

A tropical storm moving across the western Gulf of Mexico will most likely strengthen into a hurricane but is not expected to seriously disrupt efforts to capture oil gushing from the stricken BP well, Adm. Thad W. Allen of the Coast Guard said Monday. Admiral Allen, commander of the federal response to the disaster, said high seas produced by Tropical Storm Alex should not force the evacuation of rigs and other equipment from the blowout site, which is 50 miles off the Louisiana coast. Should an evacuation take place, he said, it could halt the work of collecting oil and drilling relief wells for about 14 days.

We are fighting… for the safety and security of you and your family. Making cruise lines, other commercial facilities, and products safer and more secure, one case at a time.

CONTACT US AND SEE OUR RESULTS AT: www.hickeylawfirm.com and CALL US TOLL FREE AT 1.800.215.7117.

Primary Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/us/29latest.html

DATE OF DISASTER: APRIL 20, 2010

COMPANIES INVOLVED:
- BRITISH PETROLEUM (Leased Deepwater Horizon)
- HALLIBURTON (Oil Services Contractor for Deepwater Horizon)
- TRANSOCEAN LTD. (Owns Deepwater Horizon)

After over 2 months of oil spilling into the Gulf, residents of the coast are continuing the fight to save their beaches.

In Florida, officials on Thursday closed a quarter-mile stretch of Pensacola Beach not far from the Alabama line when thick pools of oil washed up, the first time a beach in the state has been shut because of the spill. A large patch of oil oozed into Mississippi Sound, the fertile waters between the barrier islands and mainland of a state that has mostly been spared.

And if just fighting the oil isn’t enough, bad weather building in the Caribbean may pose even more problems.

A tropical wave over the western Caribbean Sea has a high chance of developing into a tropical depression over the next couple of days, the U.S. National Hurricane Center and other weather forecasters said.

Most weather models see it hitting the coast near the Texas/Mexico border in a few days but some expect the wave to turn northeast toward Florida and the eastern Gulf of Mexico near where BP’s clean-up operations are in high gear.

We are fighting… for the safety and security of you and your family. Making cruise lines, other commercial facilities, and products safer and more secure, one case at a time.

CONTACT US AND SEE OUR RESULTS AT: www.hickeylawfirm.com and CALL US TOLL FREE AT 1.800.215.7117.

Primary Sources:
http://romenews-tribune.com/view/full_story/8049547/article-More-evidence-of-Gulf-oil-spill-washes-ashore?instance=home_news_lead
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1416392020100625

DATE OF DISASTER: APRIL 20, 2010

COMPANIES INVOLVED:
- BRITISH PETROLEUM (Leased Deepwater Horizon)
- HALLIBURTON (Oil Services Contractor for Deepwater Horizon)
- TRANSOCEAN LTD. (Owns Deepwater Horizon)

After so many reports about the oil spill and the damage it has caused to the people of the Gulf Coast and marine life, looking at the spill in terms of numbers gives yet another perspective.

The administration has authorized the deployment of 17,500 National Guard troops from Gulf Coast states to respond to this crisis; to date, 1,612 have been activated.

Approximately 33,700 personnel are currently responding to protect the shoreline and wildlife and cleanup vital coastlines.

More than 6,300 vessels are currently responding on site, including skimmers, tugs, barges, and recovery vessels to assist in containment and cleanup efforts—in addition to dozens of aircraft, remotely operated vehicles, and multiple mobile offshore drilling units.

Approximately 2.47 million feet of containment boom and 3.91 million feet of sorbent boom have been deployed to contain the spill—and approximately 50,000 feet of containment boom and 1.91 million feet of sorbent boom are available.

Approximately 23.5 million gallons of an oil-water mix have been recovered.

Approximately 1.39 million gallons of total dispersant have been applied—939,000 on the surface and 454,000 subsea. More than 470,000 gallons are available.

250 controlled burns have been conducted, efficiently removing a total of more than 6.32 million gallons of oil from the open water in an effort to protect shoreline and wildlife.

17 staging areas are in place to protect sensitive shorelines.

Approximately 59 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline is currently experiencing impacts from BP’s leaking oil—approximately 34 miles in Louisiana, four miles in Mississippi, nine miles in Alabama, and 12 miles in Florida.

Approximately 80,800 square miles of Gulf of Mexico federal waters remain closed to fishing in order to balance economic and public health concerns. More than 66 percent remain open.

Details can be found at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/.

We are fighting… for the safety and security of you and your family. Making cruise lines, other commercial facilities, and products safer and more secure, one case at a time.

CONTACT US AND SEE OUR RESULTS AT: www.hickeylawfirm.com and CALL US TOLL FREE AT 1.800.215.7117.
Primary Sources:
http://www.wjhg.com/news/headlines/96787984.html

DATE OF DISASTER: APRIL 20, 2010

COMPANIES INVOLVED:
- BRITISH PETROLEUM (Leased Deepwater Horizon)
- HALLIBURTON (Oil Services Contractor for Deepwater Horizon)
- TRANSOCEAN LTD. (Owns Deepwater Horizon)

Using fire to burn off some of the oil on the top of the water is the latest tactic in fighting the oil spill.

In recent days, favorable weather conditions have allowed responders to conduct successful controlled burn operations. As part of a coordinated response that combines tactics deployed above water, below water, offshore, and close to coastal areas, controlled burns efficiently remove oil from the open water in an effort to protect shoreline and wildlife. In total, 250 burns have been conducted to remove more than 6.3 million gallons of oil from the water.

While controlled burns are slowing burning up oil from the water, the EPA is continuing to test the air and water to determine its safety.

EPA is conducting additional air monitoring for ozone and airborne particulate matter. The air monitoring conducted through June 18 has found levels of ozone and particulates ranging from the “good” to “unhealthy for sensitive groups” levels on EPA’s Air Quality Index.

EPA’s analysis of surface water along the Gulf coast found elevated levels of nickel above benchmark levels for aquatic life in samples collected on June 11-13, 2010. This might affect fish and shellfish exposed for an extended period.

We are fighting… for the safety and security of you and your family. Making cruise lines, other commercial facilities, and products safer and more secure, one case at a time.

CONTACT US AND SEE OUR RESULTS AT: www.hickeylawfirm.com and CALL US TOLL FREE AT 1.800.215.7117.
Primary Sources:
http://www.wjhg.com/news/headlines/96787984.html

DATE OF DISASTER: APRIL 20, 2010

COMPANIES INVOLVED:
- BRITISH PETROLEUM (Leased Deepwater Horizon)
- HALLIBURTON (Oil Services Contractor for Deepwater Horizon)
- TRANSOCEAN LTD. (Owns Deepwater Horizon)

Marine life affected by the oil spill are leaving their normal environment in search of clean water.

Gulf Coast animals trying to outrun the massive oil spill are running out of space.

Dolphins and sharks have been showing up in the shallow waters off beaches in droves.

Other sea creatures have fled to cleaner waters, while oil-covered birds simply look for a place to die.

One marine biologist likens the scene to animals fleeing a forest fire.

“There will be a lot of fish, sharks, turtles trying to get out of this water they detect is not suitable,” Larry Crowder, a Duke University marine biologist, told The Associated Press.

The largest oil spill disaster in U.S. history began April 20. Since then, millions of gallons of oil have spewed into the Gulf of Mexico.

So far, the animal death toll reads like this: 783 birds, 353 turtles, 41 mammals.

We are fighting… for the safety and security of you and your family. Making cruise lines, other commercial facilities, and products safer and more secure, one case at a time.

CONTACT US AND SEE OUR RESULTS AT: www.hickeylawfirm.com and CALL US TOLL FREE AT 1.800.215.7117.

Primary Sources:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/06/17/2010-06-17_gulf_oil_spill_forces_sharks_dolphins_closer_to_beach_shores_as_they_look_for_sa.html

DATE OF DISASTER: APRIL 20, 2010

COMPANIES INVOLVED:
- BRITISH PETROLEUM (Leased Deepwater Horizon)
- HALLIBURTON (Oil Services Contractor for Deepwater Horizon)
- TRANSOCEAN LTD. (Owns Deepwater Horizon)

Today, BP CEO Tony Hayward will testify before Congress about the oil spill.

BP’s chief executive planned Thursday to tell Congress of his personal devastation over the Gulf of Mexico oil well blowout, part of the company’s campaign to repair its reputation with a $20 billion fund to pay victims of America’s worst environmental disaster.

Despite the contrite words in CEO Tony Hayward prepared testimony – obtained in advance by The Associated Press – the chief executive faced a brutal session in front of a House of Representatives committee. Lawmakers, who will reflect the growing anger of their constituents, have not forgotten Hayward’s declaration earlier in the crisis that “I’d like my life back.”

Hayward struck a far more deferential tone in his planned remarks that say the calamity on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform and the oil gusher that followed “never should have happened, and I am deeply sorry that they did.”

He will speak also to the future as the company battles to stop the oil spewing into the Gulf at a rate as high as 60,000 barrels daily.

“To be sure, neither I nor the company is perfect,” he said. “But we are unwavering in our commitment to fulfill all our responsibilities.” He said the company has spent nearly $1.5 billion so far, and will not stop spending “until the job is done.”

Hayward will appear before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s subcommittee on oversight and investigations, which is looking into the April 20 explosion that killed 11 workers and unleashed the oil geyser on the floor of the Gulf, nearly a mile below the surface.

He called it “a complex accident, caused by an unprecedented combination of failures.”

We are fighting… for the safety and security of you and your family. Making cruise lines, other commercial facilities, and products safer and more secure, one case at a time.

CONTACT US AND SEE OUR RESULTS AT: www.hickeylawfirm.com and CALL US TOLL FREE AT 1.800.215.7117.
Primary Sources:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/06/17/national/main6591008.shtml

DATE OF DISASTER: APRIL 20, 2010

COMPANIES INVOLVED:
- BRITISH PETROLEUM (Leased Deepwater Horizon)
- HALLIBURTON (Oil Services Contractor for Deepwater Horizon)
- TRANSOCEAN LTD. (Owns Deepwater Horizon)

After finding the documents the reveal BP’s short-cuts may have been the cause of the disaster in the Gulf, investigators continue to look into the events that led up to the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon.

Congressional investigators have identified several mistakes by BP in the weeks leading up to the disaster as it fell way behind on drilling the well.

BP started drilling in October, only to have the rig damaged by Hurricane Ida in early November. The company switched to a new rig, the Deepwater Horizon, and resumed drilling on Feb. 6. The rig was 43 days late for its next drilling location by the time it exploded April 20, costing BP at least $500,000 each day it was overdue, congressional documents show.

As BP found itself in a frantic race against time to get the job done, engineers took several time-saving measures, according to congressional investigators.

In the design of the well, the company apparently chose a riskier option among two possibilities to provide a barrier to the flow of gas in space surrounding steel tubes in the well, documents and internal e-mails show. The decision saved BP $7 million to $10 million; the original cost estimate for the well was about $96 million.

In an e-mail, BP engineer Brian Morel told a fellow employee that the company is likely to make last-minute changes in the well.

“We could be running it in 2-3 days, so need a relative quick response. Sorry for the late notice, this has been nightmare well which has everyone all over the place,” Morel wrote.

The e-mail chain culminated with the following message by another worker: “This has been a crazy well for sure.”

BP also apparently rejected advice of a subcontractor, Halliburton Inc., in preparing for a cementing job to close up the well. BP rejected Halliburton’s recommendation to use 21 “centralizers” to make sure the casing ran down the center of the well bore. Instead, BP used six centralizers.

In an e-mail on April 16, a BP official involved in the decision explained: “It will take 10 hours to install them. I do not like this.” Later that day, another official recognized the risks of proceeding with insufficient centralizers but commented: “Who cares, it’s done, end of story, will probably be fine.”

The lawmakers also said BP also decided against a nine- to 12-hour procedure known as a “cement bond log” that would have tested the integrity of the cement. A team from Schlumberger, an oil services firm, was on board the rig, but BP sent the team home on a regularly scheduled helicopter flight the morning of April 20.

Less than 12 hours later, the rig exploded.

BP also failed to fully circulate drilling mud, a 12-hour procedure that could have helped detect gas pockets that later shot up the well and exploded on the drilling rig.

Asked about the details disclosed from the investigation, BP spokesman Mark Proegler said the company’s main focus right now is on the response and stopping the flow of oil. “It would be inappropriate for us to comment while an investigation is ongoing,” Proegler told AP. BP executives including CEO Tony Hayward will be questioned by Congress on Thursday.

We are fighting… for the safety and security of you and your family. Making cruise lines, other commercial facilities, and products safer and more secure, one case at a time.

CONTACT US AND SEE OUR RESULTS AT: www.hickeylawfirm.com and CALL US TOLL FREE AT 1.800.215.7117.

Primary Sources:
http://www.marcoislandflorida.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100614/GREEN/100614001/1075/Gulf-oil-spill-latest–BP-cut-corners–documents-reveal

DATE OF DISASTER: APRIL 20, 2010

COMPANIES INVOLVED:
- BRITISH PETROLEUM (Leased Deepwater Horizon)
- HALLIBURTON (Oil Services Contractor for Deepwater Horizon)
- TRANSOCEAN LTD. (Owns Deepwater Horizon)

BP documents that were just released reveal that the company took short-cuts to try to increase production of the Deepwater Horizon, which was running behind schedule.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee released dozens of internal documents that outline several problems on the deepsea rig in the days and weeks before the April 20 explosion that set in motion the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history. Investigators found that BP was badly behind schedule on the project and losing hundreds of thousands of dollars with each passing day, and responded by cutting corners in the well design, cementing and drilling mud efforts and the installation of key safety devices.

“Time after time, it appears that BP made decisions that increased the risk of a blowout to save the company time or expense. If this is what happened, BP’s carelessness and complacency have inflicted a heavy toll on the Gulf, its inhabitants, and the workers on the rig,” said Democratic Reps. Henry A. Waxman and Bart Stupak.

The breached well has dumped as much as 114 million gallons of oil into the Gulf under the worst-case scenario described by scientists — a rate of more than 2 million a day. BP has collected 5.6 million gallons of oil through its latest containment cap on top of the well, or about 630,000 gallons per day.

We are fighting… for the safety and security of you and your family. Making cruise lines, other commercial facilities, and products safer and more secure, one case at a time.

CONTACT US AND SEE OUR RESULTS AT: www.hickeylawfirm.com and CALL US TOLL FREE AT 1.800.215.7117.

Primary Sources:
http://www.marcoislandflorida.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100614/GREEN/100614001/1075/Gulf-oil-spill-latest–BP-cut-corners–documents-reveal

DATE OF DISASTER: APRIL 20, 2010

COMPANIES INVOLVED:
- BRITISH PETROLEUM (Leased Deepwater Horizon)
- HALLIBURTON (Oil Services Contractor for Deepwater Horizon)
- TRANSOCEAN LTD. (Owns Deepwater Horizon)

After over 50 days of oil leaking in the Gulf of Mexico, scientists are still trying to determine exactly how much oil is spilling each day.

Thursday afternoon Marcia McNutt, the director of the U.S. Geological Survey, released updated flow numbers that far exceeded initial reports. McNutt said that researchers estimate that 20,000 to 40,000 barrels of oil are spewing into the Gulf each day. Initial reports by BP had estimated that only about 5,000 barrels were leaking, a figure that the U.S. government later raised to 12,000 to 19,000. If the new higher estimate is true, 87 million gallons that have spilled — six times the size of the Exxon Valdez disaster.

“We initially thought it was one number, but we have moved on and we now know from what we’re recovering that our original estimates were significantly off,” said Depland.

We are fighting… for the safety and security of you and your family. Making cruise lines, other commercial facilities, and products safer and more secure, one case at a time.

CONTACT US AND SEE OUR RESULTS AT: www.hickeylawfirm.com and CALL US TOLL FREE AT 1.800.215.7117.

Primary Sources:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Media/bp-downplays-higher-estimate-oil-spill/story?id=10885116