Running head: BP, DEEPWATER HORIZON TRAGEDY, 2010 1

BP, Deepwater Horizon tragedy, 2010

Student’s Name

Institution

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Case summary

B.P. serves as the world's third-largest oil firm, with its headquarters in London. On the

other hand, Transocean is regarded as the largest offshore drilling operator in the globe. The firm

is based in Houston and Switzerland. B.P. and Deepwater Horizon tragedy of 2010 is a narration

of emergency details that took place on Tuesday, April 20, 2010. Being the chief electronics

technician, Williams was aware that the emergency situation declared was a severe issue. He is

seen to recall methods of diving into the sea as a way of evacuating a boat on fire. William is

reported to work for a firm specializing in Deepwater drilling equipment. The incident results in

the death and injury of persons on board. Williams was amongst the persons who suffered. Out

of the total 126 people who were reported to be onboard, 79 are said to come from Transocean,

while seven were from British petroleum (B.P.). The rest are reported to come from other

companies such as M-1 Swaco and Anadarko (Ingersoll, Locke, & Reavis, 2012).

The case reveals that Williams had been injured over emergency alarms as the gas levels

had increased to an extent of prohibiting activities such as wiring and welding that could cause

extreme temperatures. The situation is complex as the alarm system in the ship had been disabled

to avoid waking the crew with false alarms. However, on April 20, it is said that the emergency

announcement that came through the alarm system was not mistaken. As part of the case,

Williams testifies that his attention was captured by a continuous hissing sound that was

followed by revving of the rig's engine system. As a result, Williams and the crew were forced to

abandon the ship by jumping into the sea that was already in flames. 

According to the case, the rig burned for 36 hours, wasting 700,000 gallons of oil on

board. The case asserts that Deep-water Horizon sank under the sea on April 22, taking down the

essential parts designed to prevent blowouts. On this note, the Deep-water Horizon disaster is
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regarded as the worst oil spill as the situation exceeded the Exxon Valdez disaster that held the

record (Ingersoll, Locke, & Reavis, 2012). 

Discussion of leading issues

Lack of ethical principles

Lack of ethical principles is another significant issue in the disaster. Leaders who lack

ethics make poor decisions that would hardly be accepted by second parties (Ojo, 2022). In the

case of B.P. and Transocean, the supervisors are reported to conduct pressure tests without

involving the right team for decision-making. The rig is a sensitive section that requires effective

decision-making before the execution of actions. It is unethical that the senior supervisors ignore

emergency alarms only to make casual decisions regarding pressure tests. Also, it is unethical

that the rig failed to consult with the crew before making final decisions. This is depicted by

quick tests on the pressure section by the crew supervisors.

Lack of remorse and sincerity

The case asserts that the supervisors were slow to take action despite being aware that the

situation would result in havoc. Moreover, lack of remorse and sincerity forced the supervisors to

fail, considering human life essential. On the same note, lack of seriousness and remorse made

the executive crew use faulty blowout preventers, thus causing an explosion. The case reveals

that the surviving team blamed the supervisors for failing to use quality equipment to avoid

disaster. Here, Ojo (2022) supports that lack of sincerity is a possible cause of using poor

equipment, thus risking many people's lives. 

Poor leadership 

The entire narration in the case depicts the adverse impacts of poor leadership. The fact

that good leaders prioritize the interests of team members reveals that the disaster is a result of
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poor leadership. The supervisors ignored the emergency warnings that would save the crew's

lives. Despite knowing that the leakage would result in further damage and havoc, the

supervisors failed to address the issue before the company leaders for immediate response. This

reveals that the leaders took the crew's lives for granted (Bratspies, 2011). On the same note,

poor leadership is the possible cause of slow response to the emergency. Leaders who fail to

prioritize the welfare of team members are regarded as poor.

Ignorance

Ignorance is a major issue that resulted in the B.P. and Transocean disaster. Rig

supervisors ignored the pressure warnings that raised alarms for hours. It is ignorance that

resulted in an explosion. The case depicts that despite multiple warnings, B.P. failed to evacuate

the Deepwater horizon on the explosion (Bratspies, 2011).

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is right to debate that organizational decision-making is crucial when

responding to crisis situations. Accountability and responsibility are two significant aspects of

good leadership. Moreover, outrage and public criticism following the disaster focused not only

on the oil spill but also on lack of sincerity and remorse. Failure by B.P. leadership to respond to

the tragedy with appropriate speed and attention is a demonstration of lack of preparedness for

the crisis.
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References

Bratspies, R. M. (2011). A regulatory wake-up call: Lessons from BP's Deepwater Horizon

Disaster. Golden Gate U. Envtl. LJ, 5, 7.

Ingersoll, C., Locke, R. M., & Reavis, C. (2012). BP and the Deepwater Horizon Disaster of

2010. MIT Sloan School of Management, Case Study.

Ojo, A. (2022). Salient Features of Being a Young African and the Effects of Poor Leadership. In

Social Revolutions and Governance Aspirations of African Millennials (pp. 11-31).

Springer, Cham.