Macondo

In the wake of the Macondo well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), the region has become significantly less attractive for gas and oil investment , according to the Fraser Institute’s Global Petroleum Survey 2011 of energy executives.

BP plc has filed a lawsuit against Halliburton Co., claiming that the oilfield service operator’s “misconduct” contributed to the April 2010 blowout of the Macondo well and explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico. BP also has filed claims against Deepwater Horizon owner and operator Transocean Ltd., as well as Cameron International, which manufactured the well’s blowout preventer. BP said the presidential commission investigating the disaster had concluded that the cement slurry designed, mixed and pumped by Halliburton failed, and that results of the failed tests were not provided, which caused technicians to miss “critical signals that hydrocarbons were flowing into the wellbore.” A BP spokesman said the company was not seeking a specific sum from Halliburton but would ask for damages up to the total cost of the spill. BP is seeking at least $40 billion in damages from Transocean and seeks to force Cameron to contribute “all or part of the damages” that may be levied against BP by the U.S. government.

Norway’s Statoil ASA, which has extensive drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico, has joined the Marine Well Containment Co. (MWCC), which was formed after the Macondo well blowout to improve capabilities to contain future underwater well control incidents. “Our membership underpins Statoil’s continued and strong commitment to the Gulf of Mexico,” said Statoil’s Bill Maloney, executive vice president, North America development and production. “The equipment and capabilities developed by MWCC are important to build confidence and ensure safe deepwater operations as we resume drilling in the area. Statoil plans to actively contribute…” The MWCC’s interim well containment system now is capable of operating in water depths of up to 8,000 feet and processing up to 60,000 b/d of fluid. Work is under way to expand the system for delivery in 2012 to operate in water depths of up to 10,000 feet and process up to 100,000 b/d of fluid. MWCC members include U.S. offshore units of ExxonMobil Corp., Chevron Corp., ConocoPhillips, Royal Dutch Shell plc, BP plc, Apache Corp., Anadarko Petroleum Corp. and Australia’s BHP Billiton.

While it continues to deal with the fallout of the Macondo well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) last April and it reported decreases in both quarterly and annual physical sales of natural gas, BP plc remains firmly atop both NGI’s 4Q2010 Top North American Gas Marketers Ranking and NGI’s Full-Year 2010 Top North American Gas Marketers Ranking.

While it continues to deal with the fallout of the Macondo well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico last April and it reported decreases in both quarterly and annual physical sales of natural gas, BP plc remains firmly atop both NGI’s 4Q2010 Top North American Gas Marketers Ranking and NGI’s Full-Year 2010 Top North American Gas Marketers Ranking.

It may have occurred in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, miles away from the U.S. onshore, but last April’s Macondo well blowout contaminated the image of natural gas and oil producers onshore as well, the CEO of Pioneer Natural Resources Co. said last week.

It may have occurred in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, miles away from the U.S. onshore, but last April’s Macondo well blowout contaminated the image of natural gas and oil producers onshore as well, the CEO of Pioneer Natural Resources Co. said Wednesday.

BP plc on Thursday said the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion and Macondo well blowout had spurred innovation and collaboration, resulting in new technology that will provide ways to deal with future offshore disasters.

BP plc on Thursday said the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion and Macondo well blowout had spurred innovation and collaboration, resulting in new technology that will provide ways to deal with future offshore disasters.