On shore, BP, Halliburton and Transocean are engaging in a billion-dollar blame game over the blown-out oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. At sea, they’re depending on each other to finally plug up the environmental disaster.
Workers say the companies’ adversarial relationship before Congress, in public statements and maybe one day in the courts isn’t a distraction at the site of the April 20 rig explosion.
There, 50 miles offshore, Transocean equipment rented by BP is drilling relief wells that Halliburton will pump cement through to stop the gusher for good.
Workers know all about the clashes among their respective employers, but Transocean senior toolpusher Dennis Barber says they’ve done an excellent job of focusing on getting the relief wells finished safely.