The 60 Minutes report was damning. And believable. Ordering the removal of the mud column before the seals were finished is something I would not have believed. And operating with a faulty BOP is inviting trouble when high pressure is likely.

Even more worrying are the accusations about the Atlantis platform, which is 'home' to several deep water wells and with more planned.

BP already is a principal supplier of liquid hydrocarbons to the United States. Canada supplies more hydrocarbon in volume, but the sources are largely the tar sands and large gas deposits.

BP wishes to displace the Canadian hydrocarbons with cheaper Gulf oil. Makes me wonder if they are so anxious to do so that they have thrown caution to the winds, to use the old cliche. They were heavily fined for shortcomings in the refinery fire and mention is made of other 'accidents', obviously their operations should be thoroughly investigated.

The tar sands are destructive to the boreal forest (in which they are located) but damage to the Gulf hurts hundreds of thousands of people who directly or indirectly make their livlihood from the Gulf waters and shore.