I just happened to stumble on an update to this story concerning the destruction of some oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico by a storm. Owned by Taylor Energy, they had done some recovery work, but some 14 years later one (or more?) of the wells is still leaking, and apparently far more than Taylor thinks.
For Couvillion, who was belittled by Taylor Energy as too inexperienced for such a complicated job, told that a containment effort was all but impossible and sued by the company when he dared to press on, success is a vindication.
His business, the Couvillion Group, conceived and designed a containment system weighing more than 200 tons, built it in shops all over southern Louisiana and pieced it together deep underwater. The system has recovered about 63,000 gallons since March, according to Couvillion — virtually eliminating a rainbow-colored slick that has stretched as far as 21 miles.
“I’m in awe of what they did,” said Coast Guard Capt. Kristi Luttrell, who chose the Couvillion Group from among six finalists that bid for the job. “We gave them a task and they did it, and they should be very proud of what they’ve done.” [WaPo]
Is Taylor Energy grateful? No, they’re going to sue. To do anything else is to admit fault, I suppose, and we can’t be doing that.
Even Taylor Energy has acknowledged the Couvillion Group’s success. However, the company has sued Luttrell for ordering the cleanup, threatening to fine it $40,000 per day, hiring Couvillion and cutting it out of a $7 million project Taylor Energy must ultimately pay for.
“While the initial report from the Coast Guard is encouraging, the government refuses to share with Taylor Energy any verifiable scientific information or data despite the company’s multiple requests,” Taylor said in a statement. “Taylor Energy remains committed to its role as the Responsible Party and continues to advocate for a response that is grounded in science and prioritizes the well-being of the environment.”
In the suit against Couvillion, the company argued that he “was not professionally qualified” to perform the work and was “reckless and grossly negligent” for attempting it. The lawsuits were combined by a federal judge in New Orleans and are now pending.
And yet he succeeded. There’s certainly far more to this story than a WaPo reporter is going to cover, but for me the fact that some little firm went out and fixed this, over the objection of the bigger firm at fault, suggests a lot of foot-dragging on the part of the latter – perhaps criminally so.
