LitPick Review
Deepwater Oil by Tom McAuliffe is historical fiction centered around the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in the Gulf of New Mexico coast on April 20, 2010. This catastrophic event killed 11 people and spilled nearly 134 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. This devastating event had far-reaching effects, not just environmental but also on the domestic and world economy as well as on the people living around the Gulf. As the author says, “the precise cause of the explosion and fire that led to the oil spill are still under investigation even all these years later.”
Mr. McAuliffe steps inside the Deepwater Horizon disaster, changing the names in his “semi-fictional tale” to prevent “legal entanglements.” Beginning with a brief history of oil rigs, Mr. McAuliffe then introduces us to his fictional main characters such as the rig boss Jason Marshal, a new Roustabout working on the rig named TJ Johnson, and Daniel Mercer, an oil company executive who is on an inspection tour of the Deepwater oil rig at the time of the explosion. We follow all three of these characters through the issues and events leading up to, during, and after the explosion of the Deepwater oil rig, including the subsequent litigation and the social and environmental impact. The final chapters of the book discuss the long-term effects of chemical dispersants used during the cleanup of the oil in the Gulf and take a closer look at the specific economic impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of April 2010.
Opinion:
Deepwater Oil by Tom McAuliffe is an important look at the oil industry and the risks we take by drilling for oil over a mile below the Gulf. At the time, the Deepwater Horizon rig was the world’s largest oil rig in the Gulf, and Mr. McAuliffe helps us visualize and feel the complexity involved in the process of drilling over 40 miles off the Louisiana coast on a floating platform in the middle of the sea. Through his excellent character development, you experience the daily stress faced by the crew to maintain their exploratory drilling to discover oil, and at the same time, feel the tension and demands on them to be conscious of safety standards and protocols. Mr. McAuliffe also does a terrific presentation of the crew’s dedication and personal risk they face on the rig, but his juxtaposition of the oil company executive in his tale helps highlight the interests of those off the rig in the financial and economic success of the endeavor. Mr. McAuliffe is also skilled at his use of dialogue to develop the story. His description of the actual explosion and the rescue efforts to save the crew were gripping and engaging. I also found that the subsequent chapters on the trial, protests, and overall environmental impact were insightful.
Although Mr. McAuliffe is obviously a very skilled writer and chose a very important event as the backdrop for his story, I was disappointed in the editing of the book.
The author has corrected errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation etc. which were identified by me in the first edition, and he is publishing a new edition/version. However, in addition, I also found the details about how the crew manned the lifeboats at the time of the explosion while suspenseful were particularly confusing. At other points, I also felt that statements made about the oil company were possibly a bit harsh and lacked a more unbiased presentation of their position. As the editing issues have been addressed, and despite the challenges above, it is still a fun and worthwhile read!
