14°c Light rain
13°c Rain
The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION
BP drilling manager didn't see deepwater drilling as 'high-risk' activity before Gulf spill
NEW ORLEANS - BP's head of drilling engineering for the Gulf of Mexico at the time of the Deepwater Horizon disaster testified he didn't believe deepwater drilling was a "high-risk" activity before the April 2010 blowout of the company's Macondo well, according to newly released court documents.
Jonathan Sprague's March 2011 testimony is contained in a batch of more than 100 depositions that plaintiffs' lawyers submitted Thursday to the federal judge presiding over a trial for litigation over the massive Gulf oil spill.
During his pretrial deposition, Sprague said he recognized the risks associated with deepwater wells but thought they could be eliminated.
Plaintiffs' lawyers and government attorneys claim BP and its contractors ignored risks in a rush to finish drilling the well.
Conrad Williams, one of the lead lawyers for Gulf Coast businesses and residents who claim the spill cost them money, asked Sprague if the Macondo project "constituted a high-risk operation."
"At the time, I did not believe it to be high risk," Sprague said.
"Sir, isn't it true that a failure to appropriately appreciate and analyze risk can result in catastrophic consequences?" Williams asked.
"I don't know that to be true in all cases," Sprague said.
"Well, risk wasn't appropriately analyzed on the Deepwater Horizon during the five days before that rig was lost, was it?" Williams asked.
"I don't agree with that statement," Sprague said. "I think at the time the individuals involved, which included BP, service companies and contractor personnel believed that they understood all the risk."
Sprague isn't expected to testify in person at the trial that started Monday. However, the depositions submitted this week could be evidence for U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier to weigh if he ultimately decides how much more money BP and the other companies involved in the Macondo drilling project owe for their roles in the disaster.
The raft of documents also includes a June 2011 deposition by Henry Thierens, who was BP's wells director for the Gulf of Mexico until December 2009.
Thierens said he didn't know that BP had to submit a regional oil spill response plan to federal regulators from an agency that was known as the Minerals Management Service at the time of the April 20, 2010, blowout.
"So BP submitted this to the MMS for the Gulf of Mexico without clearing it through its Wells Director?" a lawyer from Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange's office asked.
"Yeah, I don't recall having seen this," said Thierens, who added that he didn't look at the plan while working on the spill response, either.
Thierens, who has since left BP, had described his job responsibilities as including "accountability for all aspects of MMS regulatory requirements. But he could only recall having direct contact with MMS once during his three-year tenure as wells director and couldn't recall if he ever looked at any of the regulations governing Gulf drilling.
Alan Huffman, a well design expert who testified at the trial earlier this week as a witness for the federal government, said BP continued drilling in dangerous deep water conditions without keeping the Minerals Management Service fully informed.
Huffman said his review of internal BP documents and MMS records showed the oil giant engaged in a "consistent pattern of misreporting" to the federal agency and gave it a "very false impression" of what was happening on the drilling project.
Fact Check
Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.
More The Green Page
- Back to Top
- Return to The Green Page
More The Green Page
(1 of 16 articles for this week)
B.C. court rules hydro project can proceed without an environmental assessment
05/17/2013 6:54 PM 0VANCOUVER - The B.C. Supreme Court has ruled that a hydro-electric development in northeastern B.C. should be allowed to proceed ...
Poll
Most Popular The Green Page
- Worst-case flood scenario over in Saskatchewan, but still concern about lakes
- Harper heads to New York to face grilling on Canada's environmental record
- Saskatchewan creates first new provincial park in nearly 20 years
- White beefalo has new home to roam at Saskatoon's Forestry Farm exhibit
- Row by row, garden shares are spreading across the city
- Harper's communications unit bigfoots Parks Canada news conference
- Greenpeace says allegations it made about Resolute Forest Products were wrong
- Canadian Pacific rail cars derail in Minn., spill oil onto frozen ground; cleanup under way
- Researchers make breakthrough on storing energy for fuel cells
- Pigeon prophylactic no fly-by-night proposal as Trail mulls pigeon problem
- Technology will be key to conquering climate change in long run, Harper says
- Harper heads to New York to face grilling on Canada's environmental record
- Conservatives boost resources ad spending to $16.5M, target U.S. audiences
- White beefalo has new home to roam at Saskatoon's Forestry Farm exhibit
- Saskatchewan creates first new provincial park in nearly 20 years
- Alberta promises better disaster response following second Slave Lake review
- Spray ban may be coming
- Nature Conservancy announces protections for Pugwash River, Canfield Creek
- Plans to increase US exports of liquefied natural gas stir debate on environment
- Navy says cleanup of fuel spill into harbour from HMCS St. John's is completed
- After 2 decades of tracking down world's oldest trees, group ready to begin planting clones
- Emergency management officials waiting for water levels to rise in Regina
- Flooding prompts three Saskatchewan communities to declare states of emergency
- Navy warship fuel spill into Halifax harbour described as "significant"
- TransCanada says it's somewhat surprised over EPA reaction to Keystone pipeline
- Technology will be key to conquering climate change in long run, Harper says
- Harper heads to New York to face grilling on Canada's environmental record
- Former Liberal prime minister intends to let Americans know the benefits of Keystone
- Purchasing power: Five ways consumers can be more socially conscious in shopping
- Source of sporadic oil slicks off northeastern Newfoundland remains a mystery
- 10th Saskatchewan community declares flood emergency; Regina residents told to prepare
- Better oil price needed for emissions controls to work: environment minister
- Harper heads to New York to face grilling on Canada's environmental record
- More money may be needed for heritage area along Manitoba-Ontario boundary
- Outdoors online: Google to map trails, historical sites in national parks
- After 2 decades of tracking down world's oldest trees, group ready to begin planting clones
- Ecosystem protection focus of new legislation
- Sandbags filled, barriers ready as Saskatchewan communities prepare for flooding
- Purchasing power: Five ways consumers can be more socially conscious in shopping
- Ship that sank in 1985 likely source of small oil slicks off Newfoundland
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.