Gulf Oil Spill Is Bad, but How Bad?

I want to know why the rig failed.

Just an industrial accident as far as I can guess.

It was a new well. the pressure was a guess. they guessed low.

They were pulling the drill string. Taking the cutter out of the hole. The hole is sealed and lubricated and the chips are removed with "Drilling mud", a slurry of detergent and clays in water. The consistency of the mud was wrong or the mud pump was not delivering. The drill string drew a gas bubble into the casing. The gas blew the mud out of the well and flared. the drill remained in the well jamming the blow out preventer. The flare sank the platform. The result is the mess we see.

A drilling crew accident. Drunk on duty? I can't know yet. Maybe just tired.