Two weeks after the BP Macondo well began its wild flow into the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, BP officials tried to pin the blame for the initial explosion on rig owner, Transocean, and Halliburton, who was hired for maintenance and to cement the well pipes at BP's direction.
Former BP CEO Tony Hayward said, "The rig that exploded on April 20 and then sank was run by another company, Transocean. That rig "was run by their people, their processes."
A new 200 page report on the oil spill says, "Faulty cementing, a misread pressure test and an improperly maintained blowout preventer all contributed to the April 20 explosion that killed 11 workers aboard the Deepwater Horizon drill rig and uncorked the worst oil spill in U.S. history," according to CNN.
Congress and the US Department of Justice are continuing their investigation into the roles of BP, Transocean and Halliburton for the cause and blame in the Gulf oil spill disaster.
BP's latest efforts to shift the blame for the Macondo oil well explosion to Transocean and Halliburton is an effort to limit their financial liability. If BP can pin at least part of the cause for the spill on Transocean and Halliburton, their share of the damages will be reduced. Whether or not they can pull it off is yet to be seen. Testimony before a US Senate investigative committee in June showed evidence of cost cutting over safety on the part of BP, which could lead to a criminal conviction of gross negligence and much heavier financial penalties for BP.
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