BP worker takes 5th, making prosecution a possibility

[babylonsister]

BP worker takes 5th, making prosecution a possibility

By Erika Bolstad, Joseph Goodman and Marisa Taylor | McClatchy Newspapers


WASHINGTON — A top BP worker who was aboard the Deepwater Horizon in the hours leading up to the explosion declined to testify in front of a federal panel investigating the deadly oil rig blowout, telling the U.S Coast Guard he was invoking his constitutional right to avoid self-incrimination.

The move Wednesday by BP's Robert Kaluza raises the possibility of criminal liability in the April 20 explosion that killed 11 and five weeks later continues to spew hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico each day.

Wednesday's government hearing in Louisiana, however, failed to determine why — despite unusual pressure and fluid readings on the rig — a BP official decided on the day of the explosion to proceed with removing heavy drilling fluid from the well and replacing it with lighter-weight seawater that was unable to prevent gas from surging to the surface and exploding.

Employees and experts testified that in the hours before the explosion, they witnessed a power struggle over that decision — the kind of argument common among the different parties that lease and run complicated offshore drilling operations, but one that this time, had deadly consequences.

One employee who worked for the rig owner, Transocean, was so mad after the fight that he warned they'd be relying on the rig's blowout preventer if they proceeded the way BP wanted.

more...

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/05/26/94884/bp-could-be-held-criminally-liable.html

[HereSince1628]

1. Is Kaluza a common name for an environmental terrorist?

Just wondering what Homeland Securities no-drilling list will look like...

[Strelnikov_]

2. Transocean is not off the hook either

One employee who worked for the rig owner, Transocean, was so mad after the fight that he warned they'd be relying on the rig's blowout preventer if they proceeded the way BP wanted

This indicates to me they suspected the annular seal at the bottom was bad, yet they sent the test crew (Schlumberger) away. They already suspected the BOP was damaged.

Did the 'Company Man' have all of this information? Many reasons that they would keep the damage to the BOP from the 'Company Man' if one of their employees damaged it, or they did not maintain it properly.

Lot of parties responsible as far as I can tell.

All of this indicates to me that Transocean/BP strongly suspected the seal was no good. And as noted on the Oil Drum, if they got lucky and got things sealed, the production rig reopening the well would have been doomed. I think they were trying to seal a bad well as quickly/cheaply as possible, then walk away.

Bottom line, offshore drilling moratorium. It is clear to me now that the ENTIRE industry is incompetent. The technology is inadequate. The 'command and control' is inadequate.

[babylonsister]

3. I thought Schlumberger left post-haste of their own accord after

recognizing the danger...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8340018

[Strelnikov_]

7. This was debunked (to my satisfaction) at the Oil Drum

I think they sent the test crew away because they suspected what the test result would be. A faulty seal. But now it would be documented (meaning criminally negligent if something went wrong).

Again, I think they were trying to close a bad well as quickly/cheaply as possible.

Whole operation was pretty damned far from 'fail safe'. And my bet, it is industry wide. They have just been lucky up to now.

Shut it down.

[babylonsister]

8. Thanks. I'm not that familiar with any of this, so bow to your

conclusions. I also agree there's more than likely criminal negligence involved.

[Vinca]

4. If some stupid slob lit a cigarette near a gas pump causing an explosion

and a death, he'd be in jail on negligent homicide charges. Since corporations are now people, they should also be facing negligent homicide charges. Those 11 men didn't have to die.

[KharmaTrain]

5. He'll Plea Out...

We'll see more of this as BP laywers up to the gills in the face of growing calls and investigations into criminal negligence. I see some of these smaller fish getting squeezed now and then squeezed up later to serve up the higher ups in the command who gave them the orders they passed down the line. It's just a matter of time when one talks and other will look to strike deals to serve up others.

:hi:

[babylonsister]

6. I suppose you're right; money talks, and BP has

boatloads (no puns intended).

:hi: