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calculate the estimated maximum gas and fluid flow rates and wellhead
temperature that could result from an uncontrolled flow from the zone of the
276
highest pressure through the open choke manifold. The maximum kick
volume (kick tolerance) should also be calculated to ensure that gas liberation at
reasonable kill rates will not overload the mud gas separator. Prior to the
beginning of drilling operations, specific plans must be made and written
instructions given to all personnel concerning non‐standard actions/procedures
to be performed to prevent or react to any well control problems.
277

The Transocean well control manual provided that “the choke and kill
manifold low‐pressure valves must be lined up to direct the flow of the well
278
through the Mud Gas Separator (MGS).” Witness testimony establishes that, at
approximately 9:41 p.m., mud from the well began flowing onto the rig floor and
the rig crew routed the flow coming from the riser through the diverter system
279
into the mud gas separator. At roughly 9:45 p.m., Stephen Curtis, the assistant
driller, called Ezell, the senior toolpusher, to tell him that the well was blowing
out, that mud was going into the crown, and that the driller (Anderson) was
shutting the well in.
280

Micah Sandell, a crane operator, testified about what he saw:

After I saw the mud shooting up it was just several seconds and then it
just quit. It went down and, at that time, I yelled at my roustabouts to go
to the front of the rig. Now, whether they heard my radio Iʹm not sure,
but it was just several seconds after that ‐‐ I took a deep breath thinking
that ʹOh, they got it under control.ʹ Then all the sudden the degaser is ‐‐
mud started coming out of the degaser. And the degaserʹs on the ‐‐ and
Iʹm sure ‐‐ I donʹt know if yʹall know itʹs on the starboard aft of the derrick
and itʹs in a goose neck and it points back down to the deck. And it come
out of it so strong and so loud that it just filled up the whole back deck
with a gassy smoke and it was loud enough that ‐‐ itʹs like taking an air
hose and sticking it to your ear. Then something exploded. Iʹm not sure
what exploded, but just looking at it, it was where the degaser was sitting,

276 Id. (Section 8, Subsection 5, page 1 of 17).
277 Transocean Well Control Manual, TRN‐USCG_MMS00043810.
278 Id. (Section 4, Subsection 1 page 4 of 4).
279 Testimony of Micah Sandell, Joint Investigation Hearing, May 29, 2010, at 9‐12; Young
testimony at 264.
280 Ezell testimony at 283.

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