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Deepwater Horizon Update June 10, 2010

Published Jan 10, 2011 9:05 AM by The Maritime Executive

Numbers to date:


  • BP says its tab to date is $1.43 billion (including the cost of the spill response, containment, relief well drilling, grants to the Gulf states, claims paid, and federal costs)
  • BP claims ~15,000 barrels a day are being collected by containment cap (this is only a portion of the oil as live video from BP shows oil still spilling into the gulf
  • 29.4 million cubic feet of natural gas has been flared
  • 17,500 National Guard troops have been deployed to Gulf Coast
  • 24,000 + personnel are responding to protect the shoreline and wildlife
  • 4,500+ vessels are 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.
  • 2.17 million feet of containment boom deployed
  • 2.6 million feet of sorbent boom deployed
  • 16 million gallons of an oil-water mix have been recovered.
  • 1.14 million gallons of total dispersant deployed—798,000 on the surface and 346,000 subsea.
  • 145+ controlled burns have been conducted, removing a total of more than 3.62 million gallons of oil from the open water
  • 17 staging areas are in place and ready to protect sensitive shorelines.


High Resolution video released by BP of oil leak on June 3
 

Oil enters main Alabama waterway
Oil has made its way into the inland waterway along coastal Alabama, causing the Coat Guard to close Perdido Pass, a main access route for fisherman and boaters. High chop pushed the oil past the booms that were in place.

Actor Kevin Costner has a solution
Costner told Congress Wednesday that he has a machine that separates oil from water. He says he has spent more than $20 million for the patent and development of this machine since 1993 after being inspired by the Exxon-Valdez spill in 1989.

The machines are like vacuum cleaners, they suck the oil up and separate the pollutants through a centrifuge. BP recently ordered 32 of the machines. 32 of these machines could process 6 million gallons of water a day.

Costner told Congress that he hope this device will life the temporary ban on drilling.

BP’s stock plunges, again
BP’s stock is at a 13-year low at 29.20 and has dropped 51% since the Deepwater Horizon explosion on April 20th. This 50% drop has caused a $90 billion loss in market value for the company.

Aerial view of surface response


The Latest Administration Response Efforts

Admiral Allen Meets with BP Claims Officials; Asserts Oversight of Claims Process
At the President’s direction, Admiral Thad Allen today met with top BP claims officials to assert the administration's oversight of BP's claims process in order to ensure that every legitimate claim is honored and paid in an efficient manner. He expressed the American people’s urgent need for additional transparency into BP's claims process, including how the process works, and how quickly claims are being processed for both individuals and businesses impacted by the oil spill. Additional meetings will be held in each of the four impacted states from June 11-13.

Today’s meeting followed a letter (pdf) sent today from Admiral Allen to BP CEO Tony Hayward directing the company to provide the National Incident Command and appropriate representatives of the affected Gulf Coast states with more detailed information about the full range of activities—from acceptance to processing to payment—BP is undertaking to meet its obligations as a responsible party in this disaster.

The administration will continue to hold the responsible parties accountable for repairing the damage, and repaying Americans who’ve suffered a financial loss as a result of the BP oil spill. To date, BP reports that 41,958 claims have been opened, from which more than $52.9 million have been disbursed. No claims have been denied to date. There are 533 claims adjusters on the ground. To file a claim, visit www.bp.com/claims or call BP’s helpline at 1-800-440-0858. Those who have already pursued the BP claims process and are not satisfied with BP’s resolution can call the Coast Guard at (800) 280-7118.

Rear Admiral Watson Instructs BP to Execute Oil Containment Contingency Plans
Federal On-Scene Coordinator Rear Admiral James A. Watson has sent a letter to BP instructing them to develop plans—within 72 hours—to “put equipment, systems and processes in place to ensure that the remaining oil and gas flowing can be recovered, taking into account safety, environmental and meteorological factors.”

The letter stressed the importance of redundancies to maintain collection rates in the event of operational problems, the need for multiple recovery vessels once additional capacity is needed, or severe weather, such as a hurricane.
Secretary Solis Visits Gulf Region to Inspect Efforts to Ensure Oil Spill Worker Safety
At the direction of the President, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis traveled to Louisiana to inspect efforts to ensure the health, safety and well-being of workers affected by the BP oil spill. She met with beach cleanup workers in Port Fourchon; discussed worker safety efforts with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) staff; and visited the Terrebonne Career Solutions Center, where she met with Vietnamese workers affected by the spill.

Policy Established to Protect Worker Health and Safety as Heat Rises in the Region
In an effort to protect the health and safety of workers amid rising summer temperatures, the Unified Area Command has established a policy requiring all on-shore and near-shore cleanup workers to follow a work/rest cycle to ensure their safety and well-being—which is determined based on the heat index, type of work being performed and required protective clothing. In addition, cleanup workers must be provided with plenty of water and encouraged to hydrate regularly. More information from OSHA is available here (pdf).

BP Continues to Capture Some Oil and Gas Using Containment Device
BP continues to capture some oil and burn some gas at the surface using its containment dome technique, which is being executed under the federal government’s direction. After cutting off a portion of the riser, BP placed a containment device over it in order to capture oil at its source.

Approved SBA Economic Injury Assistance Loans Surpass $2.1 Million
SBA has approved 51 economic injury assistance loans to date, totaling more than $2.19 million for small businesses in the Gulf Coast impacted by the BP oil spill. Additionally, the agency has granted deferments on 343 existing SBA disaster loans in the region, totaling more than $1.5 per month in payments. For information on assistance loans for affected businesses, visit the SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance, call (800) 659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the hearing impaired), or email [email protected].