Deep horizons drilling

Deep well disposal. Injection of tritium-containing liquid into isolated aquifers or depleted oil horizons is the most interesting option. This technique has been used increasingly for almost 20 years to dispose of industrial wastes. In the United States, for instance, some hundred injection wells have been drilled and are actually in operation at depths between 60 m and 3600 m. Although there are still licensing problems, this is a safe and economic way to dispose of tritiated water. 

National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling (January 2011) Deep Water The Gulf Oil Disaster and the Future of Offshore Drilling. Report to the President. The White House Washington, DC (hereinafter, the Commission Report). 

Infrequent losses do not necessarily mean low or controlled risk, as evidenced by catastrophic events such as the space shuttle losses, the 2010 BP Gulf Deep Water Horizon oil spill (Deep Water, The Gulf Oil Disaster and the Future of Offshore Drilling, 2011), refinery explosions, and (Blast at BP Texas Refinery, 2005) and even disasters such as the sinking of the Titanic (Haverin, 2012). 

So, two accidents and one company, within just over 5 years the most expensive accident of any sort ever, and one of the most expensive refinery accidents ever. However, as we shall see further on, the differences between the two accidents greatly outweigh any similarities. The Texas City accident was at an old refinery, carrying out routine production operations. The Ma.caaAo-Deepwater Horizon accident occurred on a state-of-the-art drilling rig while exploring for oil in very deep seawater-right at the boundaries of current technology. 

United States. National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. 2011. Deep Water The Gulf Oil Disaster and the Future of Offshore Drilling Report to the President. [Washington, DC] National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling For sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O. Williamson, H. F. and A. R. Daum. 1959. The American Petroleum Industry The Age of Illumination 1859-1899. Evanston, IL Northwestern University Press. 

The above quotation from the Wall Street foumal cites a munber of events and near-misses that occurred worldwide in a 12-month period prior to the Deepwater Horizon blowout. The frequency of such events suggests that the move to evermore-technically-challenging conditions (particularly drilling in deep water) have created problems that have not been fully overcome. Incidents that the article described included the following ... 

Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953 as amended in 1978, Public L. 95-572, 92 Stat. 629 (1978) Public L. 212, Gh. 345, 67 Stat. 462 (1953) National Gommis-sion on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling, Deep Water 60-62 (2011). 

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