Oil Spill

By Ren3

  • Explosion

    At 11 p.m. EST, an explosion occurs on BP's Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Of the 126 crew members, 11 are missing.
  • Period: to

    Oil Spill

  • Extinguished Fire

    The fire is extinguished and the oil rig sinks. Search for the 11 missing workers continues.

  • Leakage

    Two leaks that are dumping an estimated 1,000 barrels of oil per day into the sea are discovered. Search-and-rescue operations are suspended.

  • Coast Guard

    The U.S. Coast Guard sets fire to the oil slick in an attempt to stop the leak.

  • Luncheon

    Obama halts any new offshore drilling and a luncheon awarding "offshore drilling safety" is postponed.

  • More Leakage

    Another leak is found and the initial estimated number of 1,000 barrels of oil leaking into the sea per day has jumped to 25,000 barrels of oil per day.

  • BP Plugs 1 Leak

    BP claims to succeed in plugging one of the three leaks. An attempt to stop the other two leaks is unsuccessful.

  • BP Pictures

    BP finally releases underwater pictures of the leak, allowing other scientists and engineers to see the problem.

  • BP Plugs a Leak (kind of)

    BP succeeds in capturing some oil and gas out of one of the leaks, but the amount leaking is still more than the amount captured.

  • NASA Images

    NASA Images
    NASA reveals a picture of the spill that stretches hundreds of miles long in the Gulf of Mexico

  • "Top Kill"

    BP's "Top Kill" is implemented. The plan to plug the oil well has been delayed for unknown reasons. "Top Kill" appears to be working according to a U.S. Coast Guard admiral.

  • "Top Kill"=No Kill

    "Top Kill" is abandoned after failed operations.

  • BP Denies Underwater Oil Plumes

    Scientists claim to have found underwater oil plumes, one of which is "22 miles long, six miles wide and more than a thousand feet deep. BP denies the existence of any underwater oil plumes, and CEO Tony Hayward is qouted as saying "I'd like my life back."

  • BP Bans Pictures

    BP Bans Pictures
    Experts believe that in a worst case scenario, the leak would last until Christmas. BP's stock plunges, and workers are banned from sharing photos of animals killed by the oil.