Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

BP began drilling operations at the Macondo well on October 7, 2009. Less than seven months later, on April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded in a series of massive fire balls, leaving 11 workers dead and setting off the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history. What events caused the BP oil disaster will likely be disputed for some time to come. But one thing seems evident: Had BP followed its own and government-mandated safety procedures more carefully, the catastrophe likely wouldn’t have happened.

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A new federal government report released this week blames BP for most of the errors and oversights that caused the fatal Macondo well blowout and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Compiled by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE), the report echoes the findings of earlier probes, including those of a commission formed by President Obama to determine the cause of the spill, but it also slams BP for violating several federal safety regulations in an effort to save time and money.

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Probing reported sightings of new oil slicks in the Gulf of Mexico, Mobile Press-Register reporters took a boat to the site of BP’s blown-out Macondo well Tuesday afternoon and witnessed fresh blobs of oil rising to the surface.

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Weatherford U.S. LP, a Swiss oilfield service company that designed parts of BP’s blown-out Macondo well, has agreed to pay BP $75 million to preclude any future claims between the companies. The agreement also stipulates that BP will cover Weatherford for economic and environmental oil-spill damages should the company be named in lawsuits brought by plaintiffs harmed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

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A year ago today, the offshore oil platform Deepwater Horizon, which owner Transocean leased to BP for exploratory drilling, collapsed into the Gulf of Mexico after exploding and burning for nearly two days. Now BP is suing Transocean and two other companies, claiming their work and involvement with the rig contributed to the catastrophic oil spill.

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BP managers responsible for decisions governing the Deepwater Horizon platform’s operations may face manslaughter charges for the deaths of 11 workers who were killed when the rig exploded last April 20, according to a Bloomberg report. The federal investigation also stretches to the top of BP’s hierarchy as it seeks to determine whether former BP CEO Tony Hayward withheld information, stonewalled investigators, or made statements contrary to his knowledge in his testimony before Congress during hearings last year.

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Americans love a good disaster. At least on the big screen. And considering our collective love of earth-shattering, crowd-pleasing, explosive thrillers, maybe it’s not so surprising that BP’s oil disaster will soon be coming to a theater near you.

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Faced with ongoing cleanup costs and widespread ecological damage, the U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against BP and eight other companies involved in the massive Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

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Weeks before the Deepwater Horizon platform exploded and sank into the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 workers and creating the country’s worst offshore oil spill, BP and Halliburton knew the cement they were using to plug the exploratory well was unstable but went ahead and used it anyway. The presidential commission investigating the causes of the spill announced its first official finding today after weeks of probing the disaster.

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The United Kingdom’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned the nation’s offshore oil and gas industry about its safety record after the latest statistics revealed significant increases in serious injuries and unexpected hydrocarbon releases. The announcement reflects an ongoing trend in the UK and the United States, interpreted by many critics as a worsening state of safety and environmental protections.

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