Spills and Spin

In April 2010, the world watched in alarm as millions of barrels of crude oil began gushing into the Gulf of Mexico following a catastrophic explosion at BP’s Macondo well. As spring turned to summer and the accident developed into one of the worst oil spills in history, alarm gave way to disbelief and anger. Why had this happened? Why was it taking so long to fix? And who was ultimately to blame?

Tom Bergin, a former oil broker turned oil-industry reporter for Reuters, has been following BP’s fortunes for almost two decades and he reported daily on the unfolding events of the 2010 spill. His unique access to key players within BP – including former CEO Tony Hayward – has enabled him to piece together the story of a corporation in crisis.

Bergin sets the scene by taking us back 30 years to explain how a company that was almost destroyed by privatisation and the oil-price crash of the late 1980s was able to re-emerge as a market leader by the turn of the 21st century. At the same time, he examines how crucial decisions made during this remarkable turnaround period paved the way for BP’s darkest hour.