Macondo Disaster Imparts Lessons That Still Pay Off for Researchers

摘要

In July 2013, natural gas leaking from the A-3 well at South Timbalier Block 220 ignited, heavily damaging the Hercules #265 jackup rig. It took a month to bring the well under control. But while the story line sounds straightforward, the Hercules #265 was a hot topic at last week's 2015 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference because the damage was contained largely by drawing on lessons learned from the Macondo disaster in April 2010. During the Houston conference, researchers presented scientific papers on Macondo's impact on marine life and eco-systems throughout the Gulf of Mexico. During the spill, oil reached 1,100 miles of the Gulf coastline and covered a huge surface area.