The Deepwater Horizon was an oil drilling rig located in the Gulf of Mexico. On April 20, 2010, the rig exploded, killing 11 workers and injuring 17 others. The explosion caused a major oil spill that lasted for 87 days and resulted in the release of 4.9 million barrels of oil into the gulf. The spill had a devastating impact on the environment and economy of the region, and it is considered to be one of the worst environmental disasters in history.
The Deepwater Horizon rig was owned by Transocean Ltd., a Swiss company, and operated by British Petroleum (BP), a British multinational oil and gas company. The rig was built by Hyundai Heavy Industries in 2003 at a cost of $600 million. It was designed to drill for oil at depths of up to 10,000 feet (3,048 meters).
At 9:45 pm on April 20, 2010, an explosion occurred on the Deepwater Horizon rig. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation, but it is believed to have been caused by a blowout preventer failure. A blowout preventer is a device that is supposed to seal an out-of-control wellbore and prevent an uncontrolled release of hydrocarbons.
The explosion set fire to the rig, which eventually sank into the gulf. As it sunk, it created an underwater oil gusher that released 4.9 million barrels of crude oil into the gulf over a period of 87 days.
The spill had a devastating impact on marine life and coastal habitats in the gulf region. It also impacted humans who depend on these resources for their livelihoods. Commercial fishing was halted in some areas, and tourism declined as beaches were fouled with tar balls and oily water . In total ,the spill is estimated to have cost billions of dollars in economic damages .