Oil spill judge hears from rig blast survivor

A 57-year-old Transocean employee who survived the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion testified at the Gulf oil spill trial today that a subordinate killed in the blast was one of the workers who apparently missed signs the well was about to blow out. Randy Ezell, the first rig worker to testify in person at a trial designed to assign blame for the 2010 disaster, said that Jason Anderson was a “top-notch” toolpusher who would have done everything in his power to prevent the blowout. Anderson was one of 11 workers killed on the rig, which was owned by Transocean and leased by BP. Ezell, a senior toolpusher, said Anderson and others on the rig, including BP supervisors, misinterpreted the results of a crucial safety test. Ezell said Anderson told him during a telephone call less than an hour before the explosion that it was a “good test” and that there were no signs of trouble for 30 minutes after the test. Well data showed the first indication of a problem could have been spotted about 20 minutes before that call, plaintiffs’ attorney Paul Sterbcow said as he questioned Ezell. “All I can tell you is Jason apparently misinterpreted what he was seeing,” said Ezell, who was one of Transocean’s top supervisors on the rig. Ezell maintained BP’s well site leaders on the rig ultimately were responsible for deciding how the tests were performed and interpreting the results. The Associated Press has the full story here.