Blind Shear Ram Failure Named In Deepwater Horizon Disaster

In the disaster that was the April 20th Deepwater Horizon explosion

, the ship's last line of defense, its blind shear ram, failed. But the blind shear ram was not alone in its failures. A failure by BP and Transocean to equip the Deepwater Horizon with two blind shear rams, and a failure by Minerals Management Service, the federal agency in charge of regulating offshore drilling, to require them to do so, ultimately are responsible for the immense scale and scope of this disaster.

A blind shear ram is integral to a ship's blowout preventer (BOP), a series of hydraulic rams designed to cut and close off an oil pipeline in the event of a disaster. The blind shear ram consists of hydraulically powered blades, a sort-of extremely high-powered scissor, that cut through the pipeline, effectively sealing it up. While most offshore drilling rigs are equipped with two rams, the Deepwater Horizon was only fixed with one.

When Transocean purchased the Deepwater Horizon in 2001, it was only fitted with one blind shear ram. At this time Transocean equipped a majority of its rigs with blowout preventers able to hold two rams. Neither Transocean nor BP made the effort to equip the Deepwater Horizon with a second blind shear ram, despite Transocean's assertion that 79% of its rigs operating in the gulf have two blind shear rams. All other BP rigs under contract are also outfitted with two blind shear rams.

Currently there is an argument between which company, Transocean or BP, was responsible for the decision to equip the Deepwater Horizon with only one blind shear ram. This controversy is one of the reasons why there are so many lawsuits against BP, as well as numerous lawsuits against Transocean ongoing today. If you choose to believe Transocean, BP was responsible for the decision; if you choose to believe BP, it was both companies' call. Consulting with a Maritime Attorney is an individual's best means of gathering factual information as this situation develops.

Space limitations is the reason BP is now giving as to why there was only one blind shear ram aboard the Deepwater Horizon. But according to several experts interviewed The Times, a second blind shear ram could have been added by swapping some components out. A drilling engineer interviewed by the New York Times, referred to a blind shear ram as, "...kind of like a parachute it's nice to have a backup."

While no backup was present on the Deepwater Horizon, what is even more confounding this that there was no federal mandate that required there to be. Not only that, but there are not even government regulations that requiring routine checks of important elements of blind shear rams. Given the fact that many studies are now being unearthed showing the many vulnerabilities of a blind shear ram, it borders on criminal that the Mineral Management Service did not enforce a rule requiring oil companies to supply proof that their blind shear rams even worked. Maybe a Maritime Attorney or a Maritime Lawyer could provide better insight into Mineral Management Services role in all of this.

The fact that two enormous companies, BP & Transocean, refused to outfit the Deepwater Horizon with two blind shear rams, knowing the vulnerabilities of the unit, again shows why there are so many deserved lawsuits against BP and lawsuits against Transocean. Will the truth ever come out?

by: George Murphy

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