Some new detail on the second thread today at the Oil Drum:
What Were the Causes That Led to the Deepwater Horizon Blowout and Explosion? - and Open Thread 2
There is this:
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TheOilDumb on June 19, 2010 - 10:18pm
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"Two BP management officials, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss internal matters, said budget cuts were largely the reason equipment was not upgraded or repaired, and indicated that much of it has yet to be addressed. BP's Alaska budget for 2010 is $1 billion, compared with $1.1 billion in 2009 and $1.3 billion in 2008.
Moreover, according to two BP Alaska officials, projects related to "safety and integrity" have been cut by 30 percent this year and BP’s senior managers receive bonuses for not using funds from BP’s designated maintenance budget, a company wide policy implemented by Hayward. Documents show that Hayward also implemented a cost-cutting directive following the oil spills in 2006 in Prudhoe Bay.
http://www.truth-out.org/documents-employees-reveal-bps-alaska-oilfield-...
You betch'ya!
From the Oil Drum....see link just above:
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E L on June 19, 2010 - 10:23pm
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CHART OF THE DAY: Here's Why Politicians Are Falling Over Themselves To Skewer BP Right Now
You knew BP was a hot issue right now, but not this much. Pew research did a survey and the results are astounding -- 59% of Americans are following the BP oil leak story (shown in the top blue bar below), which blows away the tiny 8% of Americans who care about the economy.
The economy is a tough nut to crack, it's hard to say anything without making somebody angry. So if you're a politician looking to grab some positive mindshare, Pew makes the decision obvious -- Skewer BP as visibly as you can, and you've attached yourself to the hottest issue by far in people's head.
Who cares about the economy the right now. If you as a politician are going to go there, then you might as well start talking about the NBA finals too:
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