BP Announces Commitment of up to $500 Million to Open Research Program in the Gulf

Today, BP announced a commitment of up to $500 million to an open research program. This program will study the impact of the Deepwater Horizon incident and it's associated response, on the marine and shoreline environment of the Gulf of Mexico.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="410" caption="The incident command centre at Houma, Louisiana, © BP p.l.c."][/caption]

"BP has made a commitment to doing everything we can to lessen the impact of this tragic incident on the people and environment of the Gulf Coast. We must make every effort to understand that impact. This will be a key part of the process of restoration, and for improving the industry response capability for the future. There is an urgent need to ensure that the scientific community has access to the samples and the raw data it needs to begin this work," said Tony Hayward, BP's chief executive.

There are some key questions that will be addressed by this 10-year research program reflect discussions with the U.S. government and academic scientists in Washington. BP will fund research to examine various topics including:

▪ Where are the oil, the dispersed oil, and the dispersant going under the action of ocean currents?

▪ How do oil, the dispersed oil and the dispersant behave on the seabed, in the water column, on the surface, and on the shoreline?

▪ What are the impacts of the oil, the dispersed oil, and the dispersant on the biota of the seabed, the water column, the surface, and the shoreline?

▪ How do accidental releases of oil compare to natural seepage from the seabed?

▪ What is the impact of dispersant on the oil? Does it help or hinder biodegradation?

▪ How will the oil, the dispersed oil, and the dispersant interact with tropical storms, and will this interaction impact the seabed, the water column and the shoreline?

▪ What can be done to improve technology:

To detect oil, dispersed oil, and dispersant on the seabed, in the water column, and on the surface?

For remediating the impact of oil accidently released to the ocean?

Currently, BP has ongoing marine research programs in the Gulf of Mexico. BP will build on these and will appoint an independent advisory panel to construct the long term research program. BP will fund the studies for damage assessment. Also, the program will engage some of the best marine biologists and oceanographers in the world.

This all sounds really good, however $500 million may not be enough to fully recover the Gulf and its coastal areas back to their original, unharmed state.

Hopefully, BP will spend all the money necessary to get the Gulf back to its natural unaffected beauty.