Macondo Trial Enters 6th Week; BP Ignored Halliburton Warnings

摘要

The pace of the Macondo trial has shifted from a constant barrage of finger pointing to testimony now aimed at deflecting and contradicting earlier witnesses on everything from the safety of drilling rig to crew training. As the non-jury trial entered its sixth week, two key issues continue to be brought up: safety and the unexpected appearance of Halliburton cement samples that had been missing for three years and may be associated with the Macondo well. Late last week, Nathaniel Chaisson, Halliburton's cementing services coordinator, told the court he recommended to BP that 21 stabilizers be used to center the drill pipe in the well. Chaisson said that four days before the blowout, a BP official told him the decision was made to go with just six stabilizers.