Danger of another huge oil blast, concludes report

DISASTERS like the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig could happen again without significant reform, according to the conclusions of a presidential panel that has the companies involved in the nation’s largest offshore oil spill pointing fingers at each other again.

In a 48-page excerpt of its final report, the commission described systemic problems within the offshore oil and gas industry and government regulators who oversee it. It also said such a disaster could happen again without significant reforms.

The full report is due to be handed to US President Barack Obama on January 11. But key questions will remain, namely: Why didn’t a hulking piece of equipment that sat at the wellhead and was supposed to choke off the flow of oil in the event of a blowout do its job? Federal investigators analysing the blowout preventer at a Nasa facility in New Orleans aren’t expected to finish until February.