Top Kill Operation
The “top kill” procedure currently underway to stop the massive oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico relies on a common drilling industry material: drilling mud – a thick mixture of specific kinds of mud and other ingredients. The Los Angeles Times is reporting this morning that U.S. Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen confirms the “top kill” appears to be succeeding. While stopping this unprecedented leak and environmental disaster is paramount, the drilling mud used to perform the top kill, as well as the chemical dispersants used by BP, may also be toxic to the environment.
Drilling mud is used routinely in the oil drilling industry to help flush debris out of the hole during drilling and to help cool the drill bit. In order to adjust the viscosity and other properties of drilling mud, various additives are introduced into the drilling mud. This can result in a toxic milk shake. Common toxins found in drilling muds include: asbestos, lead, barium, arsenic and chromium.
Asbestos was widely used as an asbestos drilling mud additive from the 1960s through the 1980s. Oilfield workers that worked on drilling rigs (both land and offshore) during this timeframe were likely exposed to asbestos drilling mud additives on a regular basis as the material was added into the mud system. Inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause a wide range of diseases including mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung, lung cancer and asbestosis.
Stopping the Deep Water Horizon leak is critical to protecting the environment and economy of the Gulf of Mexico. Hopefully, the drilling mud “top kill” procedure will work. Once this disaster has been stopped, however, we need to quickly examine off-shore oil drilling practices and more regulation is needed over drilling procedures – including more regulation of the use and proper disposal of drilling muds.