Stuck Pipe Kept Shear Rams From Sealing BP Well, Report Says
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A section of pipe on BP Plc’s Gulf of Mexico well became trapped and prevented blades from cutting the pipe to stop the flow of oil, triggering the biggest U.S. offshore spill, according to a study released by the Interior Department and U.S. Coast Guard.
The blind shear rams, part of a 50-foot (15-meter) stack of valves called a blowout preventer, failed to “fully close and seal” the well, according to the report today. The pipe buckled in a blast, which prevented the rams from pinching the pipe shut and allowed oil and gas to surge to the surface.