http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN19267283
It sounds possibly interesting at face value, but after a quick scan of the article, it looks this group leaving might not be anything other than a coincidence... however if we take a look at a few other pieces of information, we can see this article in a new light.
It all started with a post on a website forum called "the oil drum"
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6464
Someone had posted a rumor that had been circulating in their area. It's also important to point out that the original poster did clearly mention that it was a rumor.
BP contracted Schlumberger (SLB) to run the Cement Bond Log (CBL) test that was the final test on the plug that was skipped. The people testifying have been very coy about mentioning this, and you'll see why.
SLB is an extremely highly regarded (and incredibly expensive) service company. They place a high standard on safety and train their workers to shut down unsafe operations.
SLB gets out to the Deepwater Horizon to run the CBL, and they find the well still
kicking heavily, which it should not be that late in the operation. SLB orders the
"company man" (BP's man on the scene that runs the operation) to dump kill fluid down the well and shut-in the well. The company man refuses. SLB in the very next sentence asks for a helo to take all SLB personel back to shore. The company man says there are no more helo's scheduled for the rest of the week (translation: you're here to do a job, now do it). SLB gets on the horn to shore, calls SLB's corporate HQ, and gets a helo flown out there at SLB's expense and takes all SLB personel to shore.
6 hours later, the platform explodes.
Pick your jaw up off the floor now. No CBL was run after the pressure tests because the
contractor high-tailed it out of there. If this story is true, the company man (who
survived) should go to jail for 11 counts of negligent homicide.
This comment post was followed up the same day here:
http://adropofrain.net/2010/05/rumor-schlumberger-exits-deep-horizon-hours-before-blowout
And the next day here:
http://www.thomhartmann.com/forum/2010/05/smoking-gun-bps-deep-horizon-mess
Now, this is still days before the Reuters article is written.
Following the Reuters article, a post on another forum ties the ramifcations of all of this together:
http://gcaptain.com/forum/offshore/4805-deepwater-horizon-transocean-oil-rig-fire-32.html#tb
"... The confirmation of this news now removes any doubt that could have been left in my mind that BP was absolutely, undeniably beyond any shadow of a doubt guilty of gross neglegance leading to the disaster which occured on the eveing of 4/20/10. They had a substandard cement design which had to have been made or at least approved by their engineers. They had a wireline crew ON BOARD that they chose not to use to determine the strength of the cement bond & the undermining of it by nitrogen gas bubbles at extremely high temperatures. They had evidently approved or excused the jerryrigging of BOP tests that could not have occured without their knowledge as they had represintatives on baord the rig during this time. They disregarded the warning signs of failed negative hydrostatic tests against the casing hanger seals & cement job. They had to have lied to the MMS about those test results & sought approval for premature removal of the 14.3 PPG mud which they displaced with 8.7 PPG seawater causing the well to become underbalanced & allow for the migration of gas bubbles to destroy whatever strength the cement held & allowing oil to destroy the ability of the cement to cling to the casing & shale walls. They evidently continued to order the continued pumping of displacement fluid even though gauge pressures indicated they were already recieving a kick & had removed some if not all of the killweight mud from the rig which is required by indusrty standards & to be self enforced by MMS regulation.
Anyone that is still a BP apologist after these damning pieces of evidence have been brought forth is not worthy to hold a job in this industry & should seek employment at a bologna sandwich factory, because you have decieved yourself beyond the point of being helped. BP executives, engineers, drilling supervisors on sight & in their chain of command that had any thing to do with anyone of these actions should be brought up on charges of neglegent homicide & multiple counts of neglegant destruction to private, state, & federal property & have to answer for these indefensible decisions. Unless people like this are held accountible we can expect that no matter how many laws, techniques, safety devices, & standards are implemented, this stands an all to good chance of happening again."
Now, obviously the discussion here is far more damning than anything you'd glean from the Reuters article, ... but let's take a look at the article again, shall we?
The first important point to make is that the Reuters article was not written until 5 days after the original rumor was posted on the 14th. It seems likely that Reuters was attempting to follow up on some of these leads.
The second thing we need to take another look at is the first sentence of the second paragraph:
The company, which had not previously revealed its work on the Horizon...
So, if Schlumberger had not even publicly acknowledged being there until speaking with Reuters, it strongly suggests that the people discussing this information in the days prior to the Reuters article did have some information that the rest of us do not.
So what does it all mean?
It's hard to say, but I do know that it's been a full month since this information has come to light, and I haven't heard a peep in the main stream media since.
I also know that it seems pretty obvious that Schlumberger was trying to hide the fact that they were even there, so I don't expect these people to be volunteering information any time soon.
Maybe Schlumberger, as an organization, does not want to be responsible for pointing the finger directly at BP.. maybe it's all just a coincidence.
All that I know for sure is that I don't have any faith in Congress to find the important answers on their own.
I think some more questions need to be raised about this incident, more people need to be questioned, or otherwise we're never going to be allowed to know the truth.
