Mexican Gulf Oil Spill Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mexican Gulf Oil Spill - Research Paper Example The company’s reputation was also tarnished severely, as the oil spill was a public relations disaster. British Petroleum had to face criticism not only from environmental groups but also from the general populace. The case study of Gulf of Mexico oil spill will aid the understanding of the audience as to how the company dealt with the situation. The focus will be on the way company handled its communication in the media. Also, the role of culture and politics and its impact on the way the company dealt with the crisis will be discussed. The reaction of the public and how British Petroleum handled it will also be significant part of this case study. Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill The Gulf of Mexico oil spill started on 20th April 2010 with an explosion of the deep water horizon in which 11 men lost their lives and another 17 were left wounded (Welch & Joyner, 2010). The explosion resulted in the worst oil spill in the history of oil and gas industry, and millions of barrels of crude oil polluted the sea. The oil spill lasted for about 3 months, during which British Petroleum tried many attempts to block the oil well. Government agencies also took action, and the company was fined. The company also had to deal with many lawsuits from businesses and individuals. The underwater oil spills are difficult to stop, because the source of oil is underwater. This is why it took the company 3 months to stop the oil spill. The company tried very hard to stop the oil spill earlier but was not successful. British Petroleum also had to face severe criticism and public outrage when many of its attempts to stop the oil spills went unsuccessful. People couldn’t find answers as to how it is not possible for a company as big as British Petroleum to stop the oil spill. The underwater oil spill is also more damaging than other types of drilling disasters, because it is very difficult to clean the rivers and seas that are affected by the oil spill. British Petroleum had to ha ndle this situation, as it was no less than a public relations disaster. The company had to take tough decisions to protect its reputation, as it was getting a bashing from media, environmental groups, and public. The company first tried to dial down the situation and took a position that the oil spill is not as big as people think it is. The potential damage of the oil spill was dialed down by the company. The company also took steps to curb the damage from the oil spill. The policy of damage control was put in place as the company was trying to stop the oil spill. Initially, people believed the company’s stance that everything would work out. But when days went by and the oil spill didn’t stop, the media and the public started to panic. This is when the company publicly admitted that there was something seriously wrong and steps had to be taken. Initially, however, the policy of dialing down the issue was followed by the company. Given the size of the company, it was necessary for it to dial down the danger. Any bad news would result in lowering stock prices, which is not acceptable by the shareholders; therefore, the company initially tried to tell people that the problem was not bad enough and the company would soon solve it. From the standpoint of the company, it was a good step, as it stopped the share prices from falling immediately. But when the news broke out that the company is finding it difficult to fix the oil spill, company stocks decreased and, eventually,