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the line…[a]nd, as soon as it did that, I could see ‐‐ well, Doug
[Brown] said ʺSomething ainʹt right.ʺ…And, as he said that, about
that ‐‐ as soon as he stated that, he turned and came right over to
the console just to look at the screen. And, within seconds of that,
I saw roughly three, maybe five [emergency shut‐downs] on the
very bottom of the panel start flashing. I donʹt know if somebody
set them off or if ‐‐ Thatʹs emergency shut downs. Itʹs supposed
to be actually for dampeners and to that effect if thereʹs a fire or
something to that effect. Okay. They started flashing, within
seconds of that there was a big explosion, a loud ʺBang,ʺ it got
black. The port door on this here side (indicating) blew in. As
soon as it blew in within a matter of seconds the starboard side
blew in as soon as you heard the second explosion.
309

Paul Meinhart, a motorman, who was also in the engine control room,
testified:

The first explosion I was standing with my back to the port side
next to a door. The door on the port side of the engine control
room got blow in. So, I believe that it came from the port side of
the vessel from where we were at.

* * *

The second explosion at that time I had just moved over, but I still
had my back to the port side. But thereʹs another door coming
from the center of the rig. During the second explosion that door
got blown open.
310

The above witness testimony suggests that one or more of the explosions
occurred in the vicinity of engines 3 and 6.

B. Mud Gas Separator

As discussed previously in this Report, immediately following the
blowout the rig crew decided to send the hydrocarbon influx to the mud gas

309 Id. at 342.
310 Testimony of Paul Meinhart, Joint Investigation Hearing, May 29, 2010 at 32‐33.

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