After the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Department of the Interior asked the National Academy of Engineering and National Research Council to convene a committee of experts to analyze the probable causes of the disaster and identify measures for preventing similar harm in the future. MACONDO WELL-DEEPWATER HORIZON BLOWOUT: LESSONS FOR IMPROVING OFFSHORE DRILLING SAFETY, the committee's final report, analyzes the performance of the technologies and practices used, including the blowout preventer and related technology features, and recommends a number of actions that industry and regulators should take to decrease the risk of danger in future drilling operations.
DETAILS: Advance copies of the report will be available to reporters only beginning at 2 p.m. EST Tuesday, Dec. 13. The report is embargoed and not for public release until 10 a.m. EST Wednesday, Dec. 14. Members of the expert committee that wrote the report will discuss their conclusions during a telephone news conference beginning at 10 a.m. EST on Dec. 14.
Reporters: To obtain an embargoed copy and receive the call-in information for the telephone news conference, contact the Office of News and Public Information; tel. 202-334-2138 or e-mail news@nas.edu