BP preparing Gulf of Mexico report

LONDON, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- A failed blow-out preventer and inadequate sealing were among the likely causes of the explosion that sank a Gulf of Mexico oil rig, a BP study finds.

A gas explosion caused the Deepwater Horizon oil platform to catch fire and sink the Gulf of Mexico in April. The accident resulted in 11 deaths and caused millions of barrels of oil to spill into gulf waters.

An internal investigation into the Gulf of Mexico carried out by BP, which was responsible for operations at the site, found a cascading series of factors contributed to the accident, the Financial Times reports.

The report found that steel casing lining the well didn't work, causing oil and gas to leak from the well. A test to identify a leak failed, as did the blow-out preventer that is supposed to stop oil and gas from escaping the well.

Federal investigators examining the site suggested a faulty cementing procedure lead in part to the failure of the Macondo well on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico.

BP said its report was carried out in order to address safety concerns, not to prepare for a possible court battle. The Financial Times said the report would be made public in about two weeks.