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Chapter 14: Problem 1

What happened in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010, and what was the cause? The consequences?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The event of interest that occurred in April 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico was the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, often referred to as the BP oil spill. This catastrophe, one of the biggest in the history of the marine industry, was caused by a wellhead blowout after a surge of natural gases through a concrete core. The consequences of this event were widespread environmental and economic damage, affecting marine and wildlife habitats, as well as the fishing and tourism industries in the region. Moreover, the event led to severe financial and reputational damage for the companies involved, especially BP.

Step by step solution

01

Identify the Event

In April 2010, a deadly explosion and subsequent oil spill occurred in the Gulf of Mexico. The incident is known as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, or the BP oil spill. It is considered one of the largest environmental disasters in the history of the marine industry.
02

Determine the Cause

The catastrophe was caused by an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig. The explosion was the result of a wellhead blowout, caused by a surge of natural gases through a concrete core that was installed by Halliburton Energy Services to seal the well for later use.
03

Discuss Consequences

The oil spill resulted in extensive environmental and economic damages. An estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf over an 87-day period, causing wide-scale impacts on marine and wildlife habitats. The spill also led to massive economic losses to the fishing and tourism industries in the Gulf region, and had significant financial and reputational impacts on the companies involved, particularly BP.

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