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Not much attention has been on the possible cause of the oil rig blast. This article sheds light on a possible cause.
Halliburton Could Be at Fault for Oil Spill - Science and Tech - The Atlantic
Halliburton Could Be at Fault for Oil Spill - Science and Tech - The Atlantic
How did the Gulf oil rig explode? A prominent theory adds Halliburton to the mix. Workers had just finished cementing the well when the rig blew, leading experts to speculate that a flaw in this process could have caused the explosion. Halliburton, the largest company in the global cementing business, was in charge of cementing the well.
In order to prevent oil and natural leakage, rig workers pump cement down wells after they've finished drilling. This process requires a very particular type of cement, one that must be mixed and stirred in a precise fashion. If the cement is flawed, it can crack or fail to set properly, allowing oil and gas to leak through. If gas escaped through the Gulf rig's cement, it could have shot back up the well -- what's known as a "blowout" -- and ignited the fatal blast.
Halliburton was also responsible for cementing a well off the coast of Australia that blew last August, leaking oil for ten weeks before it was plugged. Though the investigation continues, an official from the U.S. Minerals Management Service testified that a poor cement job probably caused the explosion.