After five years of work, we have finally completed our systems analysis of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and put it in publishable form:

Deepwater Horizon: A Systems Analysis of the Macondo Disaster

Backed by a peer review group of international drilling experts, we examined and placed into context thousands of trial exhibits, hundreds of depositions, thirty days of sworn testimony, and multiple expert reports and media accounts arising from the biggest civil trial in U.S. history. Our analysis delivers a significant challenge to the commonly accepted explanation that the crew, operating under pressure to cut costs, made mistakes that were compounded by the failure of a key safety device. The picture we present is deeper and more subtle, and holds important lessons for those involved in complex, high-consequence systems.

Our analysis is now available from Amazon and many other bookstores. We are grateful to Harvard University Press, our editors and all the drilling and well construction experts who gave freely of their time and expertise to help us come as close to the truth as we could, in the hope that understanding what actually happened will help prevent a recurrence.