What Was Halliburton’s Role in the Gulf of Mexico Rig Explosion?

The Huffington Post reported that Halliburton, an oilfield-services firm, may be a suspect in the investigation into the Gulf of Mexico rig explosion.  The Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee sent a letter to the company requesting an explanation regarding its work on the Transocean rig, Deepwater Horizon.

Drilling experts have suggested that the cause of the rig explosion could have been tied to the cementing process, which refers to plugging holes in the pipeline seal with cement.  Halliburton was allegedly responsible for cementing the Deepwater Horizon. 

“The initial likely cause of gas coming to the surface had something to do with the cement,” stated Robert MacKenzie, managing director of energy and natural resources at FBR Capital Markets.  MacKenzie used to be a cementing engineer within the oil industry.

Some of the theories at this point include that the cement plug at the bottom of the well was faulty or that gas passed through the cement located between the pipe and well walls, because the cement hadn’t hardened correctly. It is important to note that the investigation is still in the early stages.

One lawsuit that has already been filed in connection with the offshore rig explosion claims that Halliburton “prior to the explosion, was engaged in cementing operations of the well and well cap and, upon information and belief, improperly and negligently performed these duties, which was a cause of the explosion.”