Introduction

July 2010 - The 2010 Macondo well blowout appears to be one of the worst catastrophes of the oil industry, ever. It is likely to have profound and lasting consequences for the oil industry. It reminds the public that offshore petroleum operations are inherently risky and should be subject to strict environmental and safety measures, including vigilant enforcement of regulations. The issue is less about technical problems or human error than about an organisational and systemic failure that is the responsibility of both the oil industry and the US government. The failure is a lack ...