As the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is spreading, allegations are coming to light that this may be the Halliburton oil spill. BP claimed all the responsibility for paying for the oil spill cleanup, and Transocean was operating the oil drilling platform - but both might now be planning to Halliburton for oil spill answers.

Halliburton’s involvement in the oil spill

At the time Deepwater Horizon, owned by Transocean and being leased to BP, exploded and started the oil spill, Halliburton was working as a contractor. Transocean hired Halliburton to cement the oil well. Cementing an oil well is a process where a specialty cement is pumped into an oil well to plug it and prevent an oil spill and combustible gas from leaking. If the cement is cracked, improperly pumped, or improperly mixed, natural gas and oil can push through the cement. The well had just been finished being cemented when the Deepwater Horizon had just finished. Halliburton will need a lot more than payday loans to prove it wasn't the company's fault.

Concerns of the Halliburton oil spill

Halliburton oil spill concerns are centered on this oil-rig-cementing process. Halliburton is the largest oil well cementing business in the world which is also 11 percent, rather $ 1.7 billion, of the business the company has. If the cementing goes wrong in any way, a Halliburton oil spill is typically the result. A 2007 study ended up finding that "cementing was a factor in 18 of 39 well blowouts within the Gulf of Mexico over a 14-year period." This is essentially saying that Halliburton cementing issues are a lot more common than equipment failure and pipe failure when it comes to the cause of Gulf of Mexico oil spills. Australia and other countries have also experienced Halliburton oil spills.

Halliburton oil spill lawsuits

There are a lot of lawsuits that are depending off of the Halliburton oil spill. Natalie Roshto, wife to one of the Transocean employees who was killed, has filed a lawsuit against Halliburton. This lawsuit claims that the explosion and ensuing oil spill were the fault of Halliburton. The lawsuit specifically states that "prior to the explosion, (Halliburton) was engaged in cementing operations of the well and well cap and, upon data and belief, improperly and negligently performed these duties, which was a reason for the explosion."

Oil spill responsibility is not claimed by Halliburton

Though BP has agreed to pay for part of the cleanup of the oil spill, and Transocean is taking responsibility for a portion of the oil spill, Halliburton has not claimed any responsibility. About 20 hours before the explosion, it was confirmed by Halliburton, they completed the cementing on the project.

Sources for the article

Financial Times

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/48419230-57a3-11df-855b-00144feab49a.html

The Atlantic

http://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2010/05/halliburton-could-be-...

Wall Street Journal

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870357250457521459356476907...

CBS News

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20004069-503544.html