The "Ultimate Failsafe Device"

Today's New York Times reported an in-depth investigation of oil well blow-out preventers (BOP), the "failsafe" devices that were supposed to have prevented the on-going Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Above is pictured the shuttle valve and blind shear ram that is supposed to prevent blow outs. Hydraulic fluid is piped through the shuttle valve to the blind (as in window blind) shear ram to cut through the drilling pipe and close the well (the NY Times has a nice animation and graphics on its web site). The problem is that there was only one shuttle valve and only one blind shear ram creating a single point of failure.

The details of how the BOP was allowed to operate with a single point of failure provide fascinating reading. The free-market did not insure that BP or any of its contractors would operate safely. Government regulation did not insure that the BOP was tested, installed and maintained properly. And, we are left with the backup plan of drilling two relief wells.

My worry is that increased government regulation focused on BOPs will not be enough to prevent future environmental catastrophes. The technology is simply too flaky, too difficult to test, too complicated and too difficult to maintain for the Mineral Management Services to regulate. That's why I conclude that drilling two wells from the start is the only fail-safe mechanism.