A two-day underwater examination conducted by Transocean and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Oct. 4-5 confirmed that there are no hydrocarbons leaking from the sunken Deepwater Horizon or the riserthe pipe linking the rig to the well head prior to the Macondo accident last year.
The enormity of the impact from the Gulf oil spill is still being determined as the claim process continues to move along, which begs the question: What is happening now with the key players involved in handling and litigating the Gulf oil spill?
The Gulf oil disaster was the result of years of government and industry complacency and could have been prevented, according to an investigation, which called for constantly updated risk management plans by the industry and a “culture of safety.”
The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20 left 13 dead and 17 injured, leading to a massive oil spill and environmental disaster.
The U.S. Justice Department this week issued a civil lawsuit against BP and eight other companies, including QBE Underwriting Ltd., seeking unspecified penalties under the Clean Water Act.
BP Exploration & Production said it will waive a $75 million liability cap in the Oil Pollution Act (OPA) and urges other "responsible parties" of the Deepwater Horizon disaster to do the same.
The long-term impact of the BP oil spill could be positive for the London Market as offshore oil operations in particular face tighter regulations and potential coverage vulnerabilities are more readily apparent.
Injured workers' claims arising out of the Transocean's Deepwater Horizon oil spill cleanup will be governed by three sets of laws: the Jones Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, and state workers' compensation laws.
The House has passed legislation that allows recovery of noneconomic damages for maritime death victims' families, starting with the 11 workers that died in British Petroleum's current oil rig disaster.