Oil spill investigators focus on communication

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20100823/us-gulf-oil-spill/

Federal investigators seeking the cause of the rig explosion that led to BP's massive Gulf oil spill focused Monday on communication and chain of command, wondering at times whether the key players knew enough to handle an emergency.

Neil Cramond, who oversees BP's marine operations in the Gulf, acknowledged he rarely had contact with Paul Johnson, who managed the Deepwater Horizon rig for owner Transocean Ltd., which leased it to BP.

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Cramond also testified that captains of rigs like the Deepwater Horizon are ultimately responsible for crew safety and environmental matters, but are not always involved in decisions about how to deal with drilling operations and potential risks.

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While questioning Cramond, a Coast Guard official wondered if there was anyone who had a "big picture" of what was going on. He said he was concerned the captain was responsible for keeping the crew and vessel safe and preventing pollution, but had "little say and awareness of what's going on in terms of risk."