Deepwater Horizon -- Halliburton's Plea Deal

The FBI has announced that Halliburton has "...agreed to plead guilty to destroying evidence in connection with the Deepwater Horizon disaster..." The terms of the agreement have got John McCain in an uproar as he complains about the "paltry fine" of $200,000. If Sen. McCain really wanted to conduct a tough investigation, he ought to consider how it came to be that both the FBI and Halliburton now agree that there was "little difference between using six or 21 centralizers".
The FBI press release states

According to court documents, on April 20, 2010, while stationed at the Macondo well site in the Gulf of Mexico, the Deepwater Horizon rig experienced an uncontrolled blowout and related explosions and fire, which resulted in the deaths of 11 rig workers and the largest oil spill in U.S. history. Following the blowout, Halliburton conducted its own review of various technical aspects of the well's design and construction. On or about May 3, 2010, Halliburton established an internal working group to examine the Macondo well blowout, including whether the number of centralizers used on the final production casing could have contributed to the blowout. A production casing is a long, heavy metal pipe set across the area of the oil and natural gas reservoir. Centralizers are protruding metal collars affixed at various intervals on the outside of the casing. Use of centralizers can help keep the casing centered in the wellbore away from the surrounding walls as it is lowered and placed in the well. Centralization can be significant to the quality of subsequent cementing around the bottom of the casing. Prior to the blowout, Halliburton had recommended to BP the use of 21 centralizers in the Macondo well. BP opted to use six centralizers instead.

Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/2013/08/deepwater_horizon_--_halliburtons_plea_deal.html#ixzz2bBjCjM00