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itʹs a big tank and it goes into a pipe. Iʹm thinking that the tank
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exploded.
Steven Bertone, the chief engineer on the Deepwater Horizon, likened the
gas entering the rig to “a freight train coming through my bedroom.” The 12‐
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inch mud gas separator outlet vent and the 6‐inch vacuum breaker vent were
goose‐necked and diverted flow back downward toward the rig, creating a grave
risk of explosion directly above the rig.

E. Activity on the Bridge

At approximately 9:48 p.m., a small “jolt” was felt on the bridge of the
Deepwater Horizon, and simultaneously several of the gas alarms went off.
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Transocean’s senior dynamic positioning officer, Yancy Keplinger, was on duty
at the time, and his responsibilities included monitoring the rig’s dynamic
positioning system to ensure the safety of the vessel. Also on duty was
Transocean’s dynamic positioning officer, Andrea Fleytas, who assisted
Keplinger. Two dynamic positioning officers were on duty at all times – one on
the desk where the system is, and one off the desk. At the time of the blowout,
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Fleytas was on the desk.

Keplinger testified that he believed the initial gas alarms were coming
from the shale shaker house, an area of the rig where drilled solids are removed
from the mud. Fleytas also testified that the gas alarm for the shale shaker
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house went off first, followed by the alarm for the drill floor. According to
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Fleytas, the gas alarms illuminated in magenta, which reflects the highest level of
gas concentration. Subsequently, approximately 20 or more magenta gas alarms
illuminated, indicating the highest amount of combustible gas the sensors could
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detect.

Keplinger testified that he went to the video monitor on the bridge
(camera 6), which was focused in the starboard aft direction and saw large
quantities of mud being ejected, but could not tell whether the mud was coming

281 Sandell testimony at 10‐11.
282 Testimony of Stephen Bertone, Joint Investigation Hearing, July 19, 2010, at 34.
283 Testimony of Andrea Fleytas, Joint Investigation Hearing, October 5, 2010, at 13.
284 Testimony of Yancy Keplinger, Joint Investigation Hearing, October 5, 2010, at 128‐129.
285 Id. at 151.
286 Fleytas testimony at 13.
287 Id. at 18, 54‐55.

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