The Deepwater Horizon Incident

The Deepwater Horizon incident was a catastrophic oil spill that occurred in April 2010 when an offshore drilling rig, operated by BP, experienced a blowout deep below the ocean floor. A surge of natural gas ignited, causing an explosion and fire that led to the rig's collapse two days later. This released approximately 4.9 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico over 87 days, causing massive environmental damage and affecting wildlife, local economies, and public health. The disaster highlighted risks associated with deep-sea drilling and led to widespread industry and regulatory reevaluation.