Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico: An Analysis of Pollution and Strategies of Remediation

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1. Introduction: what is the background to the report?
1.1. Purpose of the report:
The study intends to analyze the case of “Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico” and its effects on local
ecology. Then, the evaluation aims to demonstrate the pollution and develop the explanation regarding the strategies
of remediation. This involves the concentration to evaluate the detrimental and supportive roles of the legislations.
Lastly, the report attempts to conclude with various recommendations for the steps to be considered in answer to the
present case of Deepwater Horizon. For instance, the study tried to focus on the developments of the immediate
responses, the responsibility of the stakeholders and the changes to be done for the legislations.
1.1.1. Understanding the chosen area:
The Deepwater Horizon is situated in the Gulf of Mexico and an ultra-level of deepwater. It is an offshore
drilling rig that is semi-submersible and dynamically positioned. It was created in South Korea in 2001 by the Hyundai
Heavy Industries. It has been commissioned by the R&B Falcon which is a later resource of Transocean (Beyer et al.
2016). Further, it was registered in Majuro. Then it was leased to BP starting from 2001 till 2013’s September. During
the month of September in 2009, the rig was seen to be drilling the deepest oil well as per the history.
1.1.2. Discussing the pollution incident:
The pollution took place an oil spill took place at Deepwater Horizon. This industrial disaster took place
during 2010’s 20th April. It occurred over the Macondo Prospect that is BP operated. Moreover, it is seen as the
biggest oil spill of marine for the petroleum industry’s history. Besides, it is estimated to be 8% to amount 30% greater
in volume as compared to the previous one, the oil spill of Ixtic I, that also occurred in Mexican Gulf. It was estimated
by the Federal Government of U.S. that the overall discharge has been at about 5 million barrels (Daly et al. 2016).
Various failed attempts were taken to check the flow. At last the well has been declared to be sealed during 2010,
September 19.
1.1.3. Analyzing the focus of the current study for the client:
In the following study, the ways to the mitigation of the present ecological damage are focused. It is the step of
the EIA process as the ways are determined for avoiding, minimizing and provide remedies to the effects. They can
be deployed as a significant part of the measures of impact management. This also involves the essential
adjustments in reacting to the various impacts that are unforeseen.
2. Source
2.1. Sources of pollution:
The search for crude oil has turned to be rousingly desperate. It is a single accessible source that has been
running dry and here more challenging springs of oils has been sought out. This involves the wells that are ultra-deep
within the ocean. The disaster at Deepwater Horizon has been a horrific instance of environmental devastation. This
has resulted in the drilling of deepwater (King et al. 2015). The mobile offshore of BP during 20th April of 2010
exploded at the area that was about 40 miles away from the coast of Louisiana. The outcomes were a huge offshore
spill of oil. Till the well could be sealed 5 months after, there were 780 million litres of crude oil that were found to be
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getting leaked to the gulf. It has been polluting the ocean and the ecosystems of the coasts. This led to the death of
marine animals, seabirds, fishes in huge numbers (Forth et al. 2017).
2.2. Detailed research on the issue:
It is agreed by the scientists that the oil spills and accidents have been happening as long one continues to
drill the crude oil within these complicated conditions. It is seen that about one billion dollars were invested in the
research covering the accident and its results as conducted by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative. Though one is
unable to prevent these accidents for the future, there are smarter strategies of responses. As the rig got explode
during 2010, this was drilled at the water depth approximately about 1500 meters (Handley et al. 2017). The
scientists have only required some data for feeding in the model. The pressure loss, kind of crude oil and depth of
water of the leakage are the important data to conduct the research. This has been helpful to determine how much
natural gas are there in the crude oils. It is pointed out that the oil businesses must be forced by the law bin keeping
of tack of the data. They must release them as soon as possible as an accident happens. Further, the upgraded
information on the ocean currents is also required for getting fed to the model that are recorded published and
recorded already. Putting such detailed information refers to the fact the scientists should be able to alter the course
of episodes for the further oil spill. Through understanding the way the crude oil is behaving in water, measures can
be applied in changing the behaviors (Probst et al. 2017).
Here, for instance, the business can get the oil for gathering at various layers of waters. This can transport
the pollutants away from the wetlands, cost and additional sensitive type of ecosystems. Furthermore, it is seen that
the scientists are able to develop the crude oil make sink over the floor of the ocean. Here, the preferred option is that
the natural bacteria are able to make degradation of the oil very fast. Moreover, the secret of changing the behavior
of the oil and the route towards the ocean is the size of every oil droplets. This also involves the quantity of natural
gas dissolved within the crude oil. Having the data, along with information regarding water depth, is useful to find out
the density. In this way, one can be determined how quick that has been rising to the surface of the ocean. As the
particles from the marine organisms or dead plants, in contrast, get stuck to the oil, it gets the sink. As the explosion
took place, there were 7 million litres of the dispersant of Corexit Oil has been deployed in Mexican Gulf (Dombrowski
et al. 2016). It is seen that dispersant has been emulsifying the oil to little droplets. This is to prevent or sink that from
floating to the surface at the beginning. Nonetheless, as deployed without any necessity, the elements can easily
include the chemicals that are been distributed to the ocean. The planes of US Airforce has been spraying the Corexit
to the slick of crude oil as the BP, for the first time inserted the chemical of 1500 m underwater at the leakage site
(Rodriguez-r, L.M. et al. 2015).
Nonetheless, the researchers have not been still ensured whether Corexit has been performing any good for
dispersing the oil for the present accident. At the meantime, the harm to the biodiversity has depended on the
species. The dispersant for some animals has seemed to have resulted in more harm that the oil. As per some
models. The injection of high quantity of Corexit has been possibly not needed. Here, the droplets of the oil have
been highly sufficient (Lauritsen et al. 2017). Any model of the scientist has been predicting the future of oil spills as
deploying the dispersant has helped or not. Further, it is found that the Pelicans has been one of the species that has
been suffering from the oil spills. Hence, sufficient care is taken while drilling. Moreover, the disaster Deepwater
Horizon has seemed to the worst that can ever occur. However, this has not been the case. Maximum of the crude oil
has sunk to the floor of the ocean that has been a good sign. Additionally, the biodegraded bacteria of the oil has
been faster than it was anticipated. It is detected that there has been already lots of oil that are dispersed within the
gulf coming from previous spills ad natural seeps. It has been the cause there has been huge bacteria that have been
living from the oil of decomposing and growing much faster due to that accidents (Zengel et al. 2016). Nevertheless, it
has not been possible the case to other sectors of the globe. Hence, the accident such as Deepwater horizon has
been showing a worse effect on the situation as it would happen at ant another place such as the Arctic. Ultimately,
the computer models and the scientists have not been able to secure the worst at the future of oil spills. However, this
has been better to think in a more careful manner regarding where he drilling can be permitted at the initial place.
2.3. Chemical principles involved:
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Detailed, surface, subsurface and airborne chemical measurements are mainly retrieved during May and
June during 2010. It can be utilized in quantifying the initial compositions of hydrocarbon compositions of various
transport ways of paths. This is under deep plumes of subsurface under the slick of initial surface and within the
atmosphere (Peres et al. 2016). Moreover, the measurements of the atmosphere have been consistent in having a
restricted area of the oil of the surface. This also involves the implications for the hydrocarbon leaked with mass
transport and distributions of oil drop size.
Firstly, the composition of data constrain pathways of the physical transport. Here, the DWH hydrocarbons
have been fund to release with the depth of about 1500 m under the jet of high-pressure. It has resulted in the liquid
droplets of oils and gas bubbles having the volume distribution and initial number that has never been quantified yet
(White et al. 2019). The chemical compositions and sizes of the droplets and bubbles of hydrocarbons have highly
and quickly after its release from the well. Here, the complicated interplay of the physical processes is useful to
determine the plume of hydrocarbon water to get admixture with dynamics. It can affect the 3D distribution and
composition of the admixtures of hydrocarbons under the column of water and the level of the resulting slick of the oil
and the overlying environment.
Next, the composition data quantify that is partitioning to the undissolved, evaporated and dissolved mixtures of
hydrocarbons are to be determined. At this place, one can compare the calculated compositions of hydrocarbon of
the subsurface and atmospheres DWFH samples of plumes along with the leaking from composition from Macondo
well. There are observed differences that have been defining the nature and extent of the alteration attributable to the
evolution and dissolution in due time across various pathways of transport (McCann et al. 2017). Besides, the
compositions of hydrocarbons of the samples of the subsurface can be changed again on different multi time scales.
This is through the differential biodegradation as the transport is done from the well.
3. Pathway
3.1. The ways in which the pollution has been moving from the source to the receptor:
In the current case, the most vulnerable ones are those who have encountered the pollutants as the early
life stages were going on. The elements of water-soluble of the crude oil and particular polycyclic aromatics
hydrocarbons have been showing the reason of defects in craniofacial and cardiovascular developments. This has
been various teleost species. However, the origins of developmental of the mistakes have been needed to be
determined yet (Starbird et al. 2015). For this, the Danio rerio or “zebrafish” model is helpful to test whether the WAF
or Water Accumulated Fractions of the oil can affect the particular embryonic process of developments. Not being the
native species of the waters of Gulfs, in the present case the developmental biology of zebrafish has been
characterized well. It has been making up the most effective model in revealing the molecular and cellular
mechanisms underpinning the toxicity of Macondo crude (Tatariw et al. 2018).
3.2. Analyzing the conceptual model:
Here, the zebrafish model is helpful to visualize that.
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