Māris kļaviņŠ, azamat azizov, JĀnis zaļoksnis environment, pollution, development: the case of uzbekistan

Figure 11.2. 
Deepwater 
Horizon offshore drilling 
rig on fire, Gulf of 
Mexico, 2010
Vessels combat the fire 
on Deepwater Horizon 
while the United States 
Coast Guard searches for 
missing crew

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ENVIRONMENT, POLLUTION, DEVELOPMENT:  THE CASE OF UZBEKISTAN
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill (also referred to as the British 
Petroleum (BP) oil spill) was a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico 
that was the largest offshore spill in the history of the United States 
and among the largest oil spills in history. The spill stemmed from a 
sea-floor oil gusher that resulted from the 20 April 2010 Deepwater 
Horizon  drilling  rig  explosion.  The  explosion  killed  11 platform 
workers and injured 17 others. On 15 July, the leak was largely 
stopped by capping the gushing oil wellhead.
The quasi-official Flow Rate Technical Group estimated the oil 
well was leaking 5600 to 9500 cubic metres of crude oil per day. 
This volume is approximately equal to the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil 
spill every four to seven days. The resulting oil slick covered at 
least 6500 km
2
, fluctuating daily depending on weather conditions. 
Scientists have also reported immense underwater plumes of 
dissolved oil not visible at the surface.
The spill caused extensive damage to marine and wildlife habitats 
as well as the Gulf’s fishing and tourism industries. Crews worked to 
protect hundreds of miles of beaches, wetlands and estuaries along 
the  northern  Gulf  coast,  using  skimmer  ships,  floating  containment 
booms, anchored barriers and sand-filled barricades along shorelines. 
The  USA  Government  has  named  BP  as  the  responsible  party,  and 
officials have committed to holding the company accountable for all 
cleanup costs and other damage.