Report shows Halliburton and BP knew of well risks
BP and Halliburton, the contractor which cemented the blown-out Macondo well, ignored cement design flaws weeks before the disaster that sparked the worst US offshore oil spill, a White House panel said yesterday.
Both Halliburton and BP were aware of flaws in the cement slurry, similar to the one used to seal the well, as early as 8 March, “but neither acted upon that data,” according to the National Oil Spill Commission’s chief counsel, Fred Bartlit.
Tests conducted by industry cement experts showed “the foam cement used at Macondo was unstable,” Bartlit wrote in a letter to co-chairs Bob Graham and Bill Reilly. “Halliburton [and perhaps BP] should have considered redesigning the foam slurry before pumping it at the Macondo well,” he added.