Deepwater Horizon: The Gulf on Fire
An explosion on a deep-sea rig unleashed the largest marine oil spill in history and fouled the Gulf for years.
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The Deepwater Horizon rig was drilling a deep exploratory well in the Gulf of Mexico when a blowout prevention failure triggered a massive explosion and fire.
The rig sank, and the well spewed oil unchecked for nearly three months until it was capped. Eleven workers lost their lives.
The spill became the largest marine oil disaster in history, with lasting harm to wildlife, fisheries, and coastlines.
"Eleven men died as the rig burned, then the well bled oil into the sea for 87 days. The ocean itself was wounded."
The 2010 disaster killed 11 workers and released millions of barrels of oil, devastating Gulf ecosystems and coastal economies. It reshaped U.S. energy regulation and the debate over deepwater drilling.
The Full Story
The Blowout
Warnings about well integrity were ignored in the rush to finish; the failed blowout preventer sealed the catastrophe's fate.
Eighty-Seven Days
Efforts from robotic subs to a massive cap finally stopped the flow, but not before enormous ecological damage was done.
Aftermath
Billions in fines and reforms followed, and the incident became a flashpoint in the fight over fossil fuels and safety.