"Opponents of the project, known as Kaskida, say an accident could be even worse than the Deepwater Horizon spill. The company says it’s learned from the past."
"Environmental groups sued the Trump administration on Monday to stop the British oil giant BP, which operated the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform that exploded in 2010, from starting a new $5 billion drilling project in ultra-deep waters in the Gulf of Mexico.
Last month, the Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management approved the project, which is known as Kaskida, about 250 miles off the coast of Louisiana at a depth of nearly 6,000 feet. BP projects it will produce 80,000 barrels of oil per day from six wells starting in 2029 in a section of the seafloor that is estimated to hold 10 billion barrels of crude.
Opponents say the new project poses greater risks than the Deepwater Horizon rig did. A blowout and explosion on that platform exactly 16 years ago killed 11 crew members and spilled 3.2 million barrels into the Gulf, which President Trump calls the Gulf of America, the largest marine oil spill in U.S. history. In a worst-case scenario, they say, the Kaskida project could result in an oil spill of up to 4 million barrels, endangering Gulf communities as well as the marine ecosystem and industries like fishing and tourism.
“The Trump administration has teed up the entire Gulf region for a Deepwater Horizon sequel with its approval of BP’s extremely risky ultra-deepwater drilling project,” said Brettny Hardy, a senior attorney with Earthjustice, the environmental nonprofit law firm that is leading the challenge. Five other groups joined the filing, asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit to review the Interior Department’s approval of the project."
Lisa Friedman reports for the New York Times April 20, 2026.
SEE ALSO:
"Environmental Groups Sue Trump Administration Over Approval Of New Ultra Deep-Water Drilling Project" (AP)
https://apnews.com/article/trump-administration-lawsuit-bp-deepwater-dri...
