Colloquium: Neil Thompson, Forensic Investigation of the Deepwater Horizon Blowout Preventer
All dates for this event occur in the past.
264 MacQuigg Labs
105 W. Woodruff Ave
Columbus, OH 43210
United States
Abstract
On the evening of April 20, 2010, while drilling at the Macondo Prospect, control of the well was lost, allowing hydrocarbons to enter the drilling riser and reach the Deepwater Horizon, resulting in explosions and subsequent fires. The fires continued to burn for approximately 36 hours. The rig sank on April 22, 2010. From shortly before the explosions until May 20, 2010, when all intervention ceased, several efforts were made to seal the well. The well was permanently plugged with cement and "killed" on September 19, 2010. The Deepwater Horizon disaster resulted in the largest offshore oil spill in US history.
A Joint Investigation Team (JIT) of the Departments of the Interior (DOI) and Homeland Security (DHS) was charged with investigating the explosion, loss of life, and blowout associated with the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig failure. As a part of this overall investigation, Det Norske Veritas (DNV) was retained to undertake a forensic evaluation of the blowout preventer (BOP) stack, its components and associated equipment used by the Deepwater Horizon drilling operation.
In the event of a loss of well control, various components of the BOP Stack are functioned in an attempt to seal the well and contain the blowout. The most important of these components are the blind shear rams. This presentation will describe the investigative process and results that solved the puzzle of the failure of the blind shear ram to successfully cut the drill pipe and seal the well.
Other information: Video by Transocean describing the events of April 20, 2010
Bio
Neil Thompson, Ph.D. is Founder and Chairman of CC Technologies, Inc., now DNV Columbus. Dr. Thompson is the DNV Segment Director for Onshore Pipelines and is Interim Department Head for Corrosion Services for DNV Columbus. He also serves as President of the NACE Foundation, promoting education and awareness within corrosion science and engineering. He has directed 32 major research projects and numerous field studies and testing projects examining various aspects of corrosion science, corrosion monitoring and cathodic protection. He is co-author of "DC Electrochemical Test Methods" published by NACE Press. A large portion of his research has been in the area of underground corrosion and CP for the pipeline industry with numerous projects performed for the Pipeline Research Council International (PRCI), the Gas Research Institute (GRI), and the Gas Technology Institute (GTI). He was a major contributor to "Corrosion Cost and Preventive Strategies in the United States," which was a Congressional funded study that established the impact of corrosion to the United States economy as $276 Billion annually.
Dr. Thompson has participated in workshops to review strategic initiatives for corrosion and safety of pipelines and highway bridge structures and participated on a National Academies panel for corrosion education. He has given invited talks around the world on corrosion challenges and the economic impact of corrosion. He was President of NACE International 2004-2005, the leading society for corrosion professionals in the world. He has served on the Defense Science Board Task Group for Corrosion and Corrosion Control, and is a member of the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame.