STUDY ON THE SOCIAL RISK OF PETROLEUM EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT ACCIDENTS: A CASE OF MACONDO ACCIDENT IN THE GULF OF MEXICO

Abstract

The process of petroleum exploration and development is related to many factors. A large number of safety accidents occur every year around the world and have an impact on the society. Due to the particularity of Marine environment, safety accidents in the process of offshore petroleum exploration and development usually have serious impacts. Taking Macondo accident in Gulf of Mexico as an example, this paper studies the social risk of petroleum exploration and development accident. On the basis of introducing the accident background, the accident process and the accident consequence, the technical reason and the management reason of the accident are analyzed, and the social influence of the accident is further analyzed. The root cause of the incident was BP's catch-up schedule, which resulted in a lack of compliance with cementing procedures such as casing running, cement injection, cement waiting, cement bond logging, and negative pressure testing, as well as inadequate supervision. After the accident, the technical treatment effect of petroleum spill was not good, and the government blindly emphasized responsibility and took little initiative to participate in the accident treatment, which turned the social risk into a social crisis and caused terrible effects. The accident seriously affected the lives of coastal residents, caused great harm to Marine life, and damaged the Marine ecological environment of the Gulf of Mexico.