Former BP Sub-Contractor Suing Oil Tycoon Over Large Gulf Rig ‘Atlantis’

As the  unnatural purge of oil in the Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon disaster is sustained, an oil rig with the startlingly foreboding name of ‘Atlantis,’  also owned and operated by British Petroleum, continues to pump hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil per day from deep within the earth. Recently, a federal lawsuit has been filed against BP by former sub-contractor Kenneth Abbott, claiming that the oil giant never produced and evaluated a final structural plan for Atlantis, and is operating the rig under unsafe and potentially catastrophic conditions.

Over 100 miles further off the coast than the Deepwater Horizon, Atlantis is drilling in 7,000 feet of water – approximately 2,000 feet deeper than the former, and pumps 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day. However, concerns have been raised regarding the legitimacy of the rig’s operation following initial findings of Abbott, then-BP sub-contractor, and subsequent investigations:

The Associated Press has learned that an independent firm hired by BP substantiated the complaints in 2009 and found that the giant petroleum company was violating its own policies by not having completed engineering documents on board the Atlantis when it began operating in 2007 - abcnews.com

The corporation supposedly fired Abbott after he initially voiced these concerns. On May 17th, Abbott filed a federal lawsuit against BP, calling for the project to be shut down until proper structural documents are presented, and safety concerns are addressed.

BP “rebutted allegations that its Atlantis platform in the Gulf of Mexico operated with incomplete and inaccurate engineering documents.” The corporation states  that it thoroughly reviewed and addressed the concerns originally voiced by Abbott back in 2009, though investigation suggests otherwise.

The Department of the Interior and the Minerals Management Service aren’t saying anything to the press. In direct conflict with statements made by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, BP reported on its website: “The design, construction, installation and operation of Atlantis have received a high level of oversight by…the US Minerals Management Service (MMS).”

However, at a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing about the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon, Salazar said the exact opposite in reference to the role the groups were playing in preventative efforts stating, “Responsibility starts first at the Department of Interior and the Minerals Management Service. We have to clean up that house.”

More than 20 lawmakers have signed a letter urging the Minerals Management Services to shut the project down until it is properly investigated. BP, the Department of the Interior, and the Minerals Management Service apparently feel that such a move is unnecessary, despite facts stating the opposite.

More information surrounding BP’s Atlantis project, and the lawsuit, can be found at the Food & Water Watch BP Atlantis Campaign website.

BP rebuttal press-release: BP Atlantis.

More:

(5.20.10) U.S. Should Shut BP Atlantis Platform, Lawmaker Says (Update2) – BusinessWeek.com

(5.19.10) U.S. lawmakers to urge BP to idle its Atlantis rig – reuters.com

(5.18.10) U.S. probes another BP rig, seeks MMS shakeup – reuters.com

(5.17.10) Federal lawsuit seeks shutdown of BP rig Atlantis – wwltv.com