Technological Wrecksellence 3
BP and Transocean:
The device meant to stop oil leaking from a Gulf of Mexico well after last month’s rig explosion was faulty, US Congressional investigators have said.
The blowout preventer (BOP), a set of huge valves, had a hydraulic leak and a failed battery, they said after studying documents from BP and others.
Oil industry chiefs say it is too early to conclude what caused the disaster.
It may indeed be too early “to conclude what caused the disaster,” if, by “caused,” one means tracking the physical history of the blowout.
On a meta level, though, it’s not too early to conclude that managerial and technological incompetence, greed, and penny-pinching were significant factors, abetted by the Bushie take-down of the United States regulatory apparatus.
Video via Bob Cesca.
May 13, 2010 at 11:33 am
“conclude that managerial and technological incompetence, greed, and penny-pinching were significant factors, abetted by the Bushie take-down of the United States regulatory apparatus”
Thank you. You’ve seconded what I’ve been saying. Technology may be top of the line, but add people & it’s automatically FUBAR.
May 13, 2010 at 9:24 pm
They weren’t using top of the line technology. That top of the line stuff is too expensive. Duct tape and vice-grips–that’s all anyone needs.
Oh, yeah. And WD-40.
May 14, 2010 at 10:24 am
Yeah, I know they were working on the cheap, but the same idea applies. The difference this time is the broken equipment people used & now they can’t stop it.
I just saw a video of Lisa Murkowski talking about why the limit of liability should stay at 75 mil, instead of going to 10 bil. You would think, that she of all people, would know it needs to go up. What she’s proven is she’s owned by oil. I hope they remove her in the elections.