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TRANSOCEAN... the people who brought you this epic disaster....
Accidents and incidents
[edit]Ixtoc I oil spill Main article: Ixtoc I oil spill On 3 June 1979, an exploratory well being drilled by the semi-submersible, Sedco 135-F on lease to Pemex, blew out in the Bahia de Campeche in the Gulf of Mexico after losing drilling mud circulation. The well ignited, and the burning platform collapsed into the sea over the wellhead causing the largest peace-time oil spill by the time it was capped on 23 March 1980.[17] [edit]Transocean Leader accident On March 2 2002, a Scottish man was killed in an accident aboard the drilling rig, Transocean Leader operated for BP, located about 86 miles west of Aberdeen, Scotland.[18] [edit]Galveston Bay explosion On June 17 2003, one worker was killed, four were hospitalized and 21 were rescued after an explosion on a Transocean gas drilling rig in Galveston Bay, Texas.[19] [edit]Transocean Rather On August 24 2005, the UK Health and Safety Executive issued a notice to Transocean that it had failed to maintain its “remote blow Out preventor control panel … in an efficient state, efficient working order and in good repair.” On November 21 2005, the Transocean was found to be in compliance for this matter.[20] [edit]Bourbon Dolphin/Transocean Rather accident On April 12 2007, the Bourbon Dolphin supply boat sank off the coast of Scotland while it was servicing the Transocean Rather drilling rig, killed eight people. The Norwegian Ministry of Justice established a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the incident, and the commission’s report found a series of "unfortunate circumstances" led to the accident “with many of them linked to Bourbon Offshore and Transocean.” [21][22] [edit]2008 fatalities Two of its workers were reported killed on Transocean vessels in 2008.[23] [edit]Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion Main article: Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion On April 21, 2010, a fire was reported on a Transocean-owned semisubmersible drilling rig, Deepwater Horizon, made by Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan, South Korea. Deepwater Horizon was a Reading & Bates Falcon RBS8D design, a firm that was acquired by Transocean in 2001. The fire broke out at 10:00 p.m. UTC-7 in US waters of Mississippi Canyon 252 in the Gulf of Mexico. The rig was 41 mi (66 km) off Louisiana coast. The US Coast Guard launched a rescue operation after the explosion, and of the 126 member crew aboard, 11 were killed and seven were critically injured.[24][25] Deepwater Horizon was completely destroyed, and subsequently sank. As the Deepwater Horizon sank the riser pipe that connected the well-head to the rig was severed and as a result oil began to leak into the Gulf of Mexico. Estimates of the leak were in the range of 5,000 to 19,000 barrels per day. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency Thursday April 29, as the oil slick grew and headed toward the most important and most sensitive wetlands in North America, threatening to destroy wildlife and the livelihood of thousands of fishermen. This oil slick is considered the largest offshore spill in U.S. history. The head of BP Group told CNN's Brian Todd on April 28 that the accident could have been prevented, and focused blame on rig owner Transocean.[26] On May 14, 2010 U.S. president Barack Obama stated "...executives of BP and Transocean and Halliburton falling over each other to point the finger of blame at somebody else," when referring to the congressional hearings held during the continued flow of oil in the Gulf of Mexico resulting from an oil rig platform explosion. "The American people could not have been impressed with that display, and I certainly wasn't." [edit]Industry reputation Transocean was rated as a leader in its industry for many years, however, since its merger with GlobalSantaFe in 2007, its reputation has suffered considerably, according to Energy Point Research, an independent oil service industry rating firm. From 2004 to 2007, Transocean was the leader or near the top among deep-water drillers for "job quality" and "overall satisfaction." In 2008 and 2009, surveys ranked Transocean last among deep-water drillers for "job quality" and next to last in "overall satisfaction." In 2008 and 2009, the firm ranked first for in-house safety and environmental policies, and in the middle of the pack for perceived environmental and safety record. [27] The Deepwater Horizon explosion and massive oil spill starting in April 2010, has further hurt its reputation. “Transocean is dominant, but the accident has definitely tarnished its reputation for worker safety and for being able to manage and deliver on extraordinarily complex deepwater projects,” said Christopher Ruppel, an energy expert and managing director of capital markets at Execution Noble, an investment bank. Transocean spokespeople declined to comment on the firm's reputation.[4]
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