Reading an article about the events that occurred leading up to BP’s oil spill triggered a key mountaineering tip — you’re not safe until you return from the summit. The article stated that BP executives were celebrating the success of the well, envisioning large quantities of crude it would produce, moments before the blow out occurred. According to a Cal-Berkley engineering professor, at the same moment, a naturally occurring methane bubble escaped from the Earth’s belly, exceeding the well design pressure estimates and flew up the well causing the fire that led to the rig’s destruction and failure of the well’s safety equipment, gushing oil into the Gulf which still has not been contained (methane crystalization creating more obstacles).
An old mountaineer knows to be prepared for the unexpected storm and ready to turn back.
