BP’s Atlantis: Will it Cause a Catastrophic Accident in the Gulf of Mexico?

by Elissar Khalek — last modified 2009-10-09 15:49

The Atlantis is the deepest moored semi-submersible oil and gas platform in the world. Located more than 150 miles off the coast of New Orleans at a water depth of more than 7,000 feet, the Atlantis has a production capacity of 8.4 million gallons of oil and 180 million cubic feet of gas a day.

What is the Atlantis?

The Atlantis is the deepest moored semi-submersible oil and gas platform in the world. Located more than 150 miles off the coast of New Orleans at a water depth of more than 7,000 feet, the Atlantis has a production capacity of 8.4 million gallons of oil and 180 million cubic feet of gas a day.

Why does it pose a serious, immediate and potentially irreparable threat to the Gulf of Mexico’s marine environment, oil workers and communities?

As hurricanes create incredible stress on the welds that are critical for containing oil and gas under high pressure far beneath the surface of the ocean, this situation could lead to an unprecedented disaster in the Gulf.

Internal BP documents characterize the situation as having the potential for “catastrophic operator errors.”

BP’s own database shows that it doesn't have the required engineering certification for 85 percent of the project’s piping and instrument diagrams and many of its safety shutdown systems logic diagrams.
More than 6,000 documents that should have required engineering approval—including those for pipelines, flowlines, wellheads, and other important systems—do not have the required documentation.
Over 95 percent of its subsea welding specifications have no final engineering approval.
"John Doe" whistle blows on the Gulf Coast safety hazard. Find out what he knows about Atlantis and why it should be shut down.
John Doe's attorney, David Perry, spells out the health and safety risks Atlantis poses to the Gulf of Mexico to the US Dept. of Interior.
"Time is of the essence," urges engineer and safety consultant Mike Sawyer to the US government regarding Atlantis safety threats.
BP's own documents cite Atlantis dangers .

Oil Platform

Which federal agency is responsible for regulating offshore drilling?

The U.S. Department of Interior’s Mineral Management Services (MMS) is the primary federal agency responsible for ensuring that all aspects of oil, gas, leasing, exploration, development and production activities are conducted safely.

Unfortunately, the agency has not been responsive to concerns about the Atlantis.

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BP’s Atlantis: Will it Cause a Catastrophic Accident in the Gulf of Mexico?

What is the Atlantis?

Why does it pose a serious, immediate and potentially irreparable threat to the Gulf of Mexico’s marine environment, oil workers and communities?

Which federal agency is responsible for regulating offshore drilling?

What can you do?


Take Action Protect public water in the Global South. Explore Further In the News Press Releases Publications Contact the Press Room RSS feed Help Us Grow	BP’s Atlantis: Will it Cause a Catastrophic Accident in the Gulf of Mexico? by Elissar Khalek — last modified 2009-10-09 15:49 The Atlantis is the deepest moored semi-submersible oil and gas platform in the world. Located more than 150 miles off the coast of New Orleans at a water depth of more than 7,000 feet, the Atlantis has a production capacity of 8.4 million gallons of oil and 180 million cubic feet of gas a day. What is the Atlantis? The Atlantis is the deepest moored semi-submersible oil and gas platform in the world. Located more than 150 miles off the coast of New Orleans at a water depth of more than 7,000 feet, the Atlantis has a production capacity of 8.4 million gallons of oil and 180 million cubic feet of gas a day. Why does it pose a serious, immediate and potentially irreparable threat to the Gulf of Mexico’s marine environment, oil workers and communities? As hurricanes create incredible stress on the welds that are critical for containing oil and gas under high pressure far beneath the surface of the ocean, this situation could lead to an unprecedented disaster in the Gulf. Internal BP documents characterize the situation as having the potential for “catastrophic operator errors.” BP’s own database shows that it doesn't have the required engineering certification for 85 percent of the project’s piping and instrument diagrams and many of its safety shutdown systems logic diagrams. More than 6,000 documents that should have required engineering approval—including those for pipelines, flowlines, wellheads, and other important systems—do not have the required documentation. Over 95 percent of its subsea welding specifications have no final engineering approval. "John Doe" whistle blows on the Gulf Coast safety hazard. Find out what he knows about Atlantis and why it should be shut down. John Doe's attorney, David Perry, spells out the health and safety risks Atlantis poses to the Gulf of Mexico to the US Dept. of Interior. "Time is of the essence," urges engineer and safety consultant Mike Sawyer to the US government regarding Atlantis safety threats. BP's own documents cite Atlantis dangers . Which federal agency is responsible for regulating offshore drilling? The U.S. Department of Interior’s Mineral Management Services (MMS) is the primary federal agency responsible for ensuring that all aspects of oil, gas, leasing, exploration, development and production activities are conducted safely. Unfortunately, the agency has not been responsive to concerns about the Atlantis. What can you do? Write now to Protect the Gulf Read the fact sheet in full. See Food & Water Watch's letter to the MMS. Read the press release. Read our Executive Director's message about Atlantis and discuss the issue on our blog.