STOPPING THE SPILL
FROM THE DEEPWATER HORIZON DISASTER
On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico experienced a catastrophic fire, triggering the largest marine oil spill in U.S. history. Over 87 days, nearly 4.9 million barrels of oil leaked into the ocean, creating an environmental disaster of unprecedented scale. Stopping this leak was an immense challenge, and DYCO Electronics played a vital role by supplying critical components when failure was not an option.
Since the oil leak could not be capped directly at the top, a relief well had to be drilled to intercept and seal the damaged well pipe buried beneath 13,000 feet of rock and 5,000 feet of water from a floating platform.
Our client, Vector Magnetics, developed a sophisticated electromagnetic tool to locate the blown-out well casing. This assembly included a 30-foot-long beryllium copper transmitter coil and receiver coil at opposite ends. The device emitted an electromagnetic field conducted by the well casing, allowing engineers to precisely calculate the distance and direction to the well by interpreting the electromagnetic signals picked up by the receiver.
After Vector Magnetics finalized the design, DYCO Electronics quickly manufactured 100 specialized transmitter coils within three working days. These coils were installed in the magnetometer tool deployed in the Gulf to guide the relief well drilling accurately.
Thanks to the teamwork and precision components provided by DYCO Electronics, the relief well was successfully drilled, enabling the permanent sealing of the oil leak and effectively stopping the spill. DYCO is proud to have contributed to this critical environmental response through collaboration, technical expertise, and rapid manufacturing.
