Teribus is wrong- the drilling crew was entirely BP crew and supervised by BP employees.

Transocean owned and cared for the rig, but the drilling program was entirely BP's. - Q

Now let me see Q, the Deepwater Horizon suffered a blow-out didn't it, in which case the gas under tremendous pressure would have torn up the drill string and the explosion would have been centred on the drill-floor of the rig. A question for you. How many BP personnel were killed? I would have expected most of the 11 would have been BP employees if what you said was true (which it isn't).

Another question for you Q: If the drilling crew were entirely BP, why was it that Transocean organised a memorial service for those killed?

The Deepwater Horizon was not drilling at the time the blow-out happened. Halliburton were cementing casing and plugging the well for temporary abandonment.

This accident did not happen because anyone told anybody else to "drill faster".

This accident did not happen because of any decision to use a head of seawater instead of a head of drilling mud to hold the pressure during cementation of the casing.

The accident happened because the BOP Failed, no-one at present knows how or why it failed. It will be quite some time before we do know.

Simple question for anyone who has watched the leak. Is the oil leaking out of the BOP, or out of the seabed around it? From what I have seen it is leaking from the BOP, which means people that the well casing and the cement job to set that was good.

While BP may have planned the drilling programme to be followed that was complete, and had been completed without incident.

Transocean was responsible for actually carrying out the drilling operation, it was their rig and they supplied the manpower to operate it. Anybody doubts that just look up the Transocean web-site and take a look at their job opportunities pages (To work in the US GOM you have to be American basically and it tells you that). The last Semi-Submersible Drilling Rig that BP ever operated was the Sea Gem back in the early 1970's. IF there was any dispute about drilling it is Transocean who have the final say NOT BP (As stated previously you may sit in a taxi and order the driver to speed up or run a red light, if he gets stopped and issued with a ticket, or has an accident it is the driver of the taxi who is at fault not the passenger).

Cameron supplied the BOP, this may have been leased (probably was considering the depth) to BP but it would be down to a combination of Cameron and Transocean to maintain and operate it.

Halliburton were cementing the casing, and as such they would have control of the drill-floor during that operation, it would Halliburton specialists who were directing what Transocean drilling crews were doing.

I would love to see this order from BP for workers not to wear protective clothing, but I doubt if any evidence of such an instruction will ever appear.

I take it Guest from Sanity that the 1500psi normal capping pressure you mentioned was a "down-hole" over pressure? and the others actual guage pressures?

I am with RB, Howard, Don T and others on this, BP right from the outset stated clearly that they regarded themselves as being responsible and that they fully intended to pay for all damage, losses and clean up costs. Barack Obama then waded in and started political grandstanding. You never know, he might even be able to lay off some of the Hurricane Katrina clean up and recovery costs costs onto BP as well.