The Deepwater Horizon Fatal Disaster But on April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon rig, an exploratory oil platform located in U.S. waters in the Gulf of Mexico under the contract to BP exploded, killing 11 workers, injuring 17 others and spilling nearly 5 million barrels of oil. For two whole days, the coast guard fought the inextinguishable fire and on 22 April 2010, Deepwater Horizon sank, leaving the oil rig’s well gushing oil across the Mexican Gulf seabed, inevitably leading to the largest ever oil spill in U.S waters. Final reports of the disaster demonstrate that multiple risk management failures were the leading factors to the disaster. An investigative panel “found no evidence that BP performed a formal risk assessment of critical operational decisions made in the days leading up to the blowout. BP’s internal report in 2007 show a pervasive culture of “unwillingness to stop work when something was clearly wrong”. Other factors influencing such behaviour may include BP’s exemption received from the US government from doing an environmental impact study which would have required them to provide details on how they might control a potential spill. Cash is also not an issue for BP as they are enjoying abundance of cash and profits.