"The crew of the Deepwater Horizon had a number of warning signs extending over five hours that conditions were worsening deep underwater before the oilrig exploded in the Gulf on April 20, BP's own investigators told a House inquiry into the cause of the deadly accident.

Details of BP's internal investigation provide fresh information about the extent of failures on the ill-fated rig, but the oil company's inquiry skirts the central question: why were those warnings ignored?

The apparent complacency of the BP crew comes as the Obama administration wrestles with the scope of possible new regulations on deepwater drilling and as a White House ordered inquiry is poised to release its findings on the explosion and spill."

Erika Bolstad reports for McClatchy Newspapers May 25, 2010. [2]

See Also:

"BP Investigation Focuses on 7 Control Mechanisms" (RIGZONE) [3]

"Panel Suggests Signs of Trouble Before Rig Explosion" (New York Times) [4]