While many are pointing the finger at BP (NYSE:BP) others are investigating what is showing a common thread with improperly oil well cementing jobs. Sealing offshore oil wells has failed numerous times in the past according to the American Press Association.
Another example of poor regulations is federal regulators giving drillers a free hand in crucial safety steps. These federal regulators leave the decision of what type of cement is used up to the oil and gas companies. There are simple guidelines from the American Petroleum Institute that drillers are encouraged to follow.
Yet, state and federal standards and controls are comparably much more strict on cement projects such as bridges, roads, and buildings. Transocean feels that the cement work is one of the main causes for of the blowout.
An AP review of the federal accident and incident reports on offshore wells shows that there have been at least 34 times the cementing process has been implicated since 1978. Many of the reports simply state the cause as "poor cement job."
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