Heads of BP, Transocean and Halliburton are on Capitol Hill this morning to explain to Congress what went wrong in the BP oil accident. A lot of finger-pointing is expected. Stacey Vanek-Smith talks to John Dimsdale.
BP has bought a stockpile of a chemical called Corexit to use on the oil slick, a product that breaks up the slick into tiny droplets that sink underwater. Environmentalists worry the toxic material will hurt sea life. Jill Barshay reports.
With all this oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico, what do folks in the energy industry think it means for their fortunes? Rob Schmitz reports that for folks at the annual Offshore Technology Conference, it's been a nail-biter.
In light of the Gulf of Mexico incident, this is not the first time that Transocean, which built the faulty oil rig, has had safety issues. Stacey Vanek-Smith talks to Marketplace's Stephen Beard, who recalls the company's troubles in Britain.
Offshore drilling safety is the focus of an annual oil industry gathering in Houston. Some wonder why more countries don't require an acoustic switch that could help prevent accidents. Stacey Vanek-Smith talks to Marketplace's Rob Schmitz.
President Obama will dispatch a team of cabinet officials to look at the growing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. But back in Washington, the spill's fueling the political waters around prospects for a comprehensive energy and climate change bill. John Dimsdale reports.
The worst-case scenario for the BP oil leak might be even worse, with a potential 60,000 barrels spilling into the water. Ships passing through the Gulf are trying to avoid the spill, but the oil can be hard to see. Eve Troeh reports.
Construction crews continue to try to contain the Gulf oil leak this week, but they may not be able to cork another unlikely environmental casualty: a climate change bill that was heading to the Senate. Steve Chiotakis talks to Marketplace's Brett Neely.
BP is recruiting volunteers for training to clean up beaches along the Gulf. Hundreds of people turned up at a makeshift training center in Waveland, Miss. Kate Archer Kent reports.
Some critics say the federal agency overseeing offshore drilling has been too lax. They argue that BP and others involved in the Gulf Coast oil spill should have taken more precautions. But deciding how much precaution to take versus how big a risk isn't always so easy. Sarah Gardner reports.
