Rat's Nest - Chronicles of Collapse Message Board

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Rat's Nest - Chronicles of Collapse

Public Reply Prvt Reply Mark as Last Read File

Previous 10 Next 10 Previous Next

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (10668)	5/27/2010 2:37:02 PM
From: Wharf Rat	Read Replies (1) of 24213

money.cnn.com Transocean president and CEO Steve Newman said his company - which owned the oil rig - gives all its employees "stop work authority" to call a "time out for safety." He said the company even takes pictures of employees and distributes them across the entire organization, to recognize those who have called so-called time-outs. But why then, did no one say "stop?" ...Lawmakers questioned both McKay (BP) and Newman about an alleged argument that took place between BP's site manager and the Transocean team over a procedure hours before the blast. But both McKay and Newman said they didn't know anything about the argument, other than what was reported in the press Wednesday. [new] ROCKMAN on May 27, 2010 - 12:59pm tow -- if he did make the comment as described in front of the other hands at the morning meeting 11 hours before the blow out then that will all come out in the official testimonies. No one knowingly performs an "unsafe" procedure. But procedures carrying some risk are performed almost daily on a rig. And the decision to go forward with such a procedure is a judgment call. Rig manager had an OPINION about the safety of the procedure that BP wanted to follow. He didn't know the well would blow out. But he did feel there was a risk greater than he liked. The BP engineer had another OPINION. At the hearing expert witnesses will testify for days as to how good each OPINION was based upon the information at the time. Today, it easy to tell whose opinion was correct. I didn't hear the rig manager's comment so I don't know. But I doubt it was said in a joking manner. When there is a difference of opinion on a serious matter you typically make it known to witnesses what your opinion is. Basic CYA. If the rig manager been certain they would blow out he could have shut BP down on the spot. He had that authority from the Feds. But the fact that he didn't tells us he had a certain level of uncertainty over his concerns. Again, a judgment call. Back to the BIG IFS: if the story is more or less correct BP's big sin, IMHO, wasn't the decision to displace the riser...that was a judgment call. But given the concerns offered by others BP should have closely monitored the mud returns. Had they seen the well coming in it could have been shut in, killed and a repair cmt job done. I consider that "judgment call" no different then deciding to let your 3 yo kid cross a busy highway by himself. If there were serious indications that the well wasn't stable I would consider not monitoring the mud returns closely a matter of criminal negligence. More simply: I might be very certain I'm not going to run into anything with my car today. Maybe 99.9999999% certain. And my risk assessment may be correct. Does that mean I don't put my seat belt on? Not watching for a well flowing back costs zero $'s. You just make sure someone is doing it. Back in January I was on a barge rig in S La for 3 weeks. During that time I had my company man personally check for mud returns at least a hundred times. And that's when I also had a mud engineer and driller checking. Didn't cost me one cent more to have the company man make that 30 yard walk every now and then. Maybe BP saved some $'s by displacing the riser so quickly. But they saved nothing by not watching for the key indicator that the rig manager's concern were valid. Not one damn penny.

Report TOU Violation

Share This Post

Public Reply Prvt Reply Mark as Last Read File

Previous 10 Next 10 Previous Next