BP boss heads to US as oil slick reaches coast

BP’s chief executive Tony Hayward was today on his way to Louisiana as the worst US oil spill in decades continued to spread into precious shoreline habitat along the Gulf Coast.

Dr Hayward’s trip to oversee the emergency operation came as the oil giant was accused of downplaying the possibility of a catastrophic accident at the offshore rig that exploded on April 20.

The blast claimed the lives of eleven workers, but its full consequences remain to be seen, as the slick continues to spread, threatening the habitat of hundreds of species of wildlife.

In a 2009 exploration plan and environmental impact analysis for the Deepwater Horizon well, BP said an accident leading to a giant crude oil spill – and serious damage to beaches, fish and mammals – was unlikely, or virtually impossible.

The document, filed with the federal Minerals Management Service, said it was “unlikely that an accidental surface or subsurface oil spill would occur from the proposed activities”.

The company said “no significant adverse impacts” were expected because of the distance of the rig from the shore and due to the “response capabilities” that would be implemented in the event of a spill.

Robert Wiygul, an Ocean Springs, Mississippi-based environmental lawyer and board member for the Gulf Restoration Network, said he saw nothing in the plan to suggest that BP had addressed the technological requirements needed to control a spill at that depth of water.

He said: “The point is, if you’re going to be drilling in 5,000ft of water for oil, you should have the ability to control what you’re doing”.

A BP spokesman said: “Dr Hayward is on his way over to Louisiana to oversee the operation, support the response and meet the people working hard over there. He is there to provide what support he can.”

A senior US administration official said President Barack Obama was also planning to visit the Gulf Coast for an update on efforts to contain the spill. He is expected to arrive within the next 48 hours.

A devastating 1.6 million gallons of oil is estimated by the US Coast Guard to have spilled since the blast, creating a slick more than 130 miles long and 70 miles wide.

Ian MacDonald, an oceanography professor at Florida State University,said the volume of oil leaking from the well nearly 5,000ft below the surface could actually be considerably higher, and that even more may escape if the drilling equipment continues to erode.

Although the cause of the explosion was under investigation, many of the more than two dozen lawsuits filed in the wake of the blast claim it was caused when workers for oil services contractor Halliburton improperly capped the well – a process known as cementing. Halliburton denied it.

A sheen of oil from the edges of the slick was washing up at Venice, Louisiana, and other extreme south-eastern portions of Louisiana.

Because of the risk of oil contamination, some fishing grounds and oyster beds in the state were closed.

Several miles out, the normally blue-green gulf waters were dotted with sticky, brown beads the consistency of tar.

High seas were forecast through Sunday and could push oil deep into the inlets, ponds, creeks and lakes that line the boot of south-eastern Louisiana.

With the wind blowing from the south, the mess could reach the Mississippi, Alabama and Florida coasts by Monday.

Efforts to contain the spill have been hindered by the weather.

The seas were too rough and the winds too strong to burn off the oil, suck it up effectively with skimmer vessels, or hold it in check with the miles of orange and yellow inflatable booms strung along the coast.

The floating barriers broke loose in the choppy water, and waves sent oily water lapping over them.

A BP spokesman said: "The exploration plan and environmental impact plan that was submitted to and approved by the Minerals Management Service for the exploration well, drilled on block MC252, addressed the impacts expected to potentially result from this activity.

“The catastrophic and tragic incident that the Deepwater Horizon experienced on April 20 and the subsequent spill from the well head 5000ft below the sea’s surface were absolutely unprecedented in BP’s experience.

“We are now absolutely focused on doing everything we can to both bring the well back under control and stop the flow of oil into the Gulf and to do all we can to manage, control and reduce the impact of the oil spilt from the well.

“We are committed to cleaning up the spill.”