Bp Deepwater Horizon Case Analysis Essay - 1392 Words

Rafique Sheikh. MGMT 518: Legal Ethical Env. of Business BP’s ethical conduct concerning the Deep Horizon blowout Background: The Deepwater Horizon oil spill or the BP oil spill refers to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which flowed for three months in 2010. The spill was a result of the explosion of Deepwater Horizon, which drilled on the BP-operated Macondo Prospect. The explosion killed 11 men working on the platform and injured 17 others (Summarized from Wikipedia article on: â€Å"Deepwater Horizon oil spill† http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepwater_Horizon_oil_spill ) In the following text we will analyze the Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill from some of the well-known ethical perspectives. From the Perspective of the†¦show more content†¦When we look at the effect of the deepwater oil spill on other stakeholders, we see that they were impacted more negatively. There were 11 people killed and 17 were injured. Although the number of people in this group is small, losses of life and health weigh heavily on the scale as we assess the consequences of BP’s decision to forego the back-up switch. Many have described the post-spill Gulf as a gigantic chemical experiment, with as yet unknown effect on its delicate ecosystem. By July 2010, one third of the Gulf’s fishing area—more than 80,000 square miles—had been closed, affecting the livelihood of thousands in coastal Louisiana and Mississippi. Applying the theory of Utilitarianism to the Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill we see that BP’s decisions in this case don’t appear clearly ethical. The harms to human and environmental stability caused by the spill seem to weigh heavily against the benefits to the local and U.S. economy of deepwater drilling itself. From the Deontology Perspective: The Deontological ethics is marked by steadfastness to universal principles—for example, respect for life, fairness, telling the truth, keeping promises—no matter what the consequences (Halbert, Law Ethics in the Business Environment. pg. 17). In Deontological terms, the fact that BP withheld accurate and important information, combined with its superior access to it, violated the categorical imperative.Show MoreRelatedBP ´s Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill of 2010 Essay1401 Words   |  6 Pageshistory, BP’s Deepwater Horizon explosion in 2010. This paper seeks to investigate closely the system and the reasons of failure, to answer the questions behind numerous studies on this accident, Is Deepwater Horizon explosion inevitable? and What can we do to avoid such accidents? Within the scope of Perrow’s normal accident theory, this paper aims to draw conclusions to the above questions and set forth recommendations to be considered in other similar oil drilling systems. Case background OnRead MoreThe Issue Facing Bp Pre Oil Spill1074 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction On Tuesday, April 20, 2010 the Deepwater Horizon rig burned for 36 hours, combusting 700,00 gallons of oil leaving a trail of smoke over 30 miles long and spilling 53,000-62,000 barrels of oil into the Gulf per day from April 20 and July 15. As of 2010, the Deepwater Horizon disaster was the largest marine oil spill ever to occur in U.S. water. Oil was found on the shores of all five Gulf States and many birds, fish, and reptiles perished due to the oil spill (Ingersoll, 2011, p. 1-2;Read MoreThe Deepwater Horizon Oil Drilling Rig1480 Words   |  6 PagesThe Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig caught fire on April 20, 2010, exploring and sinking after some days. The explosion was as a result of the equipment failure, perhaps the blowout protector, and the emerging explosion and fire killed 11 people, injuring others. The aftermath of the explosion became the largest issue in the US, estimated to surpass 1989 Exxon Valdez spill. The environmental contamination was huge, greatly impac ting marine life in the Gulf of Mexico and surrounding beaches ofRead MoreArgumentative Essay : Bp Oil Spill1558 Words   |  7 PagesArgumentative Essay: The BP Oil Spill Phillip Staton PHI 445 Personal Organizational Ethics Prof. Gloria Zuniga y Postigo February 29, 2016 Argumentative Essay: The BP Oil Spill Introduction In 2010, BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig exploded, causing millions of barrels of crude oil to be leaked out into the Gulf of Mexico. The extensive oil spill created a lot of pollution and far-reaching effects on the tourism industry. The resultant damage to marine wildlife such as fish will continue to be feltRead MoreThe Long Lasting Effects Of The Deepwater Horizon On The Gulf Of Mexico1544 Words   |  7 PagesThis essay will discuss the long lasting effects on the economy from the explosion on the DeepWater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The events that took place on April 20, 2010 would go down in history as the worst deep sea oil spill in history. British Petroleum would suffer its greatest lost to date when one of its drilling rigs the Deepwater Horizon would blow up in the Gulf of Mexico (Crandall, Parnell Spillan, 2014). In the days and weeks following the explosion there were signs ofRead MoreThe Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill2022 Words   |  9 PagesDeepwater H orizon Oil Spill The Context Before the occurrence of the Deepwater Horizon event, BP had already been labelled as having a horrible safety record. A 2009 report by the United States Department of Labour Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Todd Petterson , 2009), indicated that BP had 270 existing fines of a ‘failure to abate’ and 439 ‘wilful violations’ of various safety protocols. At the time of the disaster the regulators of the oil industry in the United States was theRead MoreFailure Regarding Corporate Social Responsibility Essay2147 Words   |  9 Pages Among the most monumental examples of failure regarding corporate social responsibility, that is to maximize profits within the law (Dejardins, 2014, p.53), is the Deepwater Horizon blowout catastrophe, occurring April 20, 2010. Historically noted as the single greatest environmental failure in the United States, the blowout of the Macondo well claimed 11 lives, injured dozens more, leaked 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, disrupted ecosystems and communities globally, andRead MoreThe Disaster Scenarios And Test It Out1535 Words   |  7 Pagesproblems as it identifies various disaster scenarios. This avoids giving the organization a shock of complete surprise. As a result of contingency planning, an organization shifts from reacting to the event to showcasing their preparedness. In most cases, simply having a concept for responding to the event not only becomes the pivotal difference between initiating an effective response and panicking but it can also be the dif ference between 10 deaths and a few hundred corpses. Correspondingly, havingRead MoreCase Study: BP and the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill3602 Words   |  15 Pages.........................................................................................................................................2 Do you agree with Tony Hayward’s quote at the end of the case? .................................................................2 Was this disaster strictly a BP failure or an industry accident?........................................................................2 What factors affect the competitive environment of the oil industry? .....................Read MoreStrategic Planning at BP1198 Words   |  5 Pagesmodel is to create value across the entire hydrocarbon value chain Ã¥ ­Ëœtarting with exploration and ending with the supply of energy and other products fundamental to life (BP.com, 2012). Naturally, BP operates to enhance shareholder wealth as a primary objective. This general process is mirrored at BP. The company uses a structure that emphasizes the different functions exploration, extraction, refining and retailing. The strategic planning process at the highest level of the company seeks to develop