Gulf Oil Spill: Federal Investigation Begins, Deepwater Horizon Crew Members Testify Under Oath

In its first day of taking sworn testimony from crew members of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, the Coast Guard and federal investigators questioned Douglas Brown, chief mechanic on the rig the night it exploded.

Meanwhile the Coast Guard has confirmed the existence of and is tracking deep half-mile thick plumes of submerged oil from the spill.

Lawsuits, fines, penalties culpability and possible jail time for BP officials depends upon investigations to take place in the coming months. Of particular interest to investigators will be the testimony of Deepwater Horizon rig mechanic Douglas Brown, who in the rig's control room during a safety and protocols disagreement between members of the oil rig crew and a BP employee running the operation.

Preliminary subpoenas and document reviews, including internal emails, so far reveal that BP employees, oil rig crew members and others with insights into the workings of the rig had grave concerns with the rig's ability to control the well. The graver doubts date back to six weeks before the explosion, with preliminary findings suggesting that BP pushed for continued drilling despite the crew's documented concerns over its inability to control the pressures within the well.

During his testimony, Brown described the first few moments in the rig's control room up to and immediately after the explosion, including the rig's over-revved pressure control engines, escaping gas, alarms, and the rig's abrupt loss of power the moment before the explosion.

Brown's and others' sworn testimony, given to the Coast Guard in the presence of counsel, will likely proven crucial in determining the extent of BP's negligence and responsibility for the explosion and spill.