Deepwater Horizon

January 7, Deepwater Horizon—an insider’s perspective on a deadly, $65 billion tragedy, Presented by Cynthia Blankenship, Geologists of Jackson Hole                                    

Deepwater Horizon was an ultra-deepwater, dynamically positioned, semi-submersible offshore drilling rig.  On April 20th, 2010, while drilling at the Macondo Prospect in the Gulf of Mexico, an uncontrollable blowout caused an explosion on the rig that killed 11 crewmen and ignited a fireball visible from 40 miles away.  The fire was inextinguishable and two days later on April 22nd, the Horizon sank leaving the well gushing at the sea bed and causing the largest oil spill ever in US waters. 

It was approximately 5:30am April 21st, 2010 and Cynthia Blankenship was six days into her new role as BP’s Deepwater Gulf of Mexico New Wells Delivery Manager.  She was listening to the news while making breakfast for herself and her three children when she heard a brief clip that a rig in the Gulf of Mexico was on fire.  That was the start of the most mentally and emotionally taxing four months of Cynthia’s life.  She was thrust into the battle of a lifetime, BP head-to-head against the Macondo well, with the media and politicians attacking from all sides. 

Cynthia will share her experience in the heart of the Response.  You are invited to join her for an insider’s perspective on what is considered the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry.   Video