Offshore Oil and Deepwater Horizon: Social Effects on Gulf Coast Communities. Volume 1: Methodology, Timeline, Context, and Communities

摘要

The U.S. Gulf of Mexico has been central to the history and development of the global offshore petroleum industry since 1947 when the first successful well was completed out of sight of land off the coast of Morgan City, Louisiana (see Chapter 1, Volume II). In the Gulf, petroleum is stored under high pressure within a layered sedimentary basin. Successful extraction and development requires that the pressure be controlled, and, when that fails, blowouts sometimes occur. Still, the April 20, 2012 Macondo blowout was unprecedented in the history of the Gulf offshore industry, both for its size and for the amount of oil it released into the Gulf (see Chapter 2, this volume). Also, although thousands of wells have been drilled in the Gulf, in 2010 the Deepwater Horizon was one of only 33 rigs drilling in water deeper than 500 feet. Consequently, despite the vast knowledge and experience with the offshore petroleum industry in the region, there was much uncertainty about the blowout and what to do about it. The Gulf of Mexico is also home to several major estuaries and supports both commercial and recreational fishing (see Chapter 2, Volume II). In addition, its beaches, coastal communities, and cities such as New Orleans attract millions of tourists each year (see Chapter 3, Volume II). Its diverse population is as varied as its topography, made up of people whose ancestors have lived in the regions for hundreds of years as well as immigrants who were drawn to the region as recently as 2005, when storms provided opportunities for cleanup and construction (see Chapter 4, this volume). This is also a region where disasters occur with some frequency, where human activities combine with events such as hurricanes and result in loss of life and property (see Chapter 3, this volume). The effects of the BP disaster can only be understood in this context. Indeed, the failure to distinguish this event from other disasters exacerbated, and in some cases created, some of its effects. This study, conducted between April 2010 and December 2012, examines the social and economic effects of the disaster on the people and communities along the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. It focuses on the short-term effects that occurred in the first 20 months after the disaster began and provides the context within which those effects were experienced.