BP in and out of the deep end

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill began on 20 April 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico on the BP-operated Macondo Prospect. It’s considered the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry with over 4.9 million barrels of oil leaking into the Louisiana eco system. The spill resulted in 11 casualties the loss of over 6000 birds, 600 turtles and 100 dolphins. This resulted in a hefty 114 lawsuits and numerous other investigations from government organisations. 

 

Although BP suffered enormous amounts of scrutiny from all walks of life the business deserved the guidance and chance to set things right and learn from their mistake. We advised them following steps where undertaken to facilitate them in the healing process and restore their reputation.

 

-Compensation: We advised BP to implement a fair and simple claims process aimed at supplying funds as quickly as possible to those affected. BP achieved this in agreement with the US government, setting up a $20 billion trust fund to provide confidence that funds would be available to satisfy claims.

 

- Restoring the image: With the spill contained and environmental efforts to restore the eco system being implemented and maintained at effective levels, we spoke to President Obama and needed him to prove a point to the American people. We decided he should swim in the previously contaminated water to prove that it was no longer a risk to public safety. Since then the tourism industry has experienced growth after a steep decline. The recovery effort continues however thanks to the work put in by Atlas, BP has gained the rights to extract oil from Iceland which stands a testament to the restored image the organisation has now achieved. (Slideshare.net, 2014)