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the float collar across the hydrocarbon‐bearing zones of interest, instead of at
the bottom of the shoe, was a contributing cause of the blowout.

The Panel found no evidence suggesting that BP shared with the
Deepwater Horizon rig crew or Transocean shore‐based personnel any of the
information available to BP regarding specific risks associated with the Macondo
production casing cement job – including the decisions noted above that the
Panel determined were causes or contributing causes to the blowout. BP’s
failure to inform the parties operating on its behalf of all known risks
associated with Macondo well operations was a contributing cause of the
blowout.

BP made a series of decisions during the days leading up to the blowout
without having appropriately analyzed all available information or having first
developed certain critical information, including: (1) going forward with the
production casing cement job without analyzing compressive strength results
from Halliburton; (2) proceeding with the cement job despite failing to fully
analyze and evaluate the gas flow potential values in Halliburton’s OptiCem
reports; and (3) directing the rig crew to pump cement into the well without
referring to data available to engineers onshore that blockage in the collar may
have been present during float collar conversion. BP’s failure to appropriately
analyze and evaluate risks associated with the Macondo well in connection
with its decision making during the days leading up to the blowout was a
contributing cause of the blowout.

BP did not place any cement on top of the wiper plug. This additional
cement would have created another barrier to prevent flow up the production
casing that could have been pressure and weight tested. BP’s failure to place
cement on top of the wiper plug was a contributing cause of the blowout.

C. Possible Contributing Causes of the Cement Barrier Failure

The float collar model used in the Macondo well was not as debris‐
tolerant (and therefore was more susceptible to blockages) as other models that
were available and would have been more suitable in light of the known
challenges with the Macondo well. BP’s decision to use a float collar that was
not sufficiently debris‐tolerant was a possible contributing cause of the
blowout.

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