BP Deepwater Horizon Environmental Sample Transfer Project
Client: BP Exploration and Production (BPXP)
Following the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, BP Exploration and Production was court-ordered to preserve a vast collection of environmental samples related to the incident, subsequent research, and cleanup. Although the samples had exceeded their testable shelf-life, BP was required to store them under court-specified conditions, incurring significant ongoing costs. Seeking to reduce this burden, BP requested permission from the court to dispose of samples no longer deemed relevant to current or future litigation. BP had consistently asserted that it maintained secure custody of approximately 265,000 samples and could retrieve any upon request. In response, an opposing law firm managing multiple lawsuits saw an opportunity to challenge this claim and requested custody transfer of approximately half the inventory, roughly 132,000 samples, within one month.
CPI and Process Management Challenges
Preparing 132,000 samples for custody transfer was a significant logistical challenge. Further complicating the effort, the requested samples appeared to be selected randomly and in a manner that maximized retrieval difficulty. Samples were stored across multiple environments: hazardous/flammable cold storage, standard cold storage (2°C), walk-in and cabinet freezers (-20°C), ultra-low temperature storage (-80°C), and ambient conditions. Each environment required specific safety and handling protocols.
Additionally, requested and non-requested samples were often comingled in the same containers. For example, the request might seek ten 2ml ampules from a box of 100. This pattern was consistent throughout the request, adding complexity to both identification and retrieval.
Solutions Delivered
BP engaged NOVACES to lead the project and develop a strategy to fulfill the request accurately and efficiently. NOVACES implemented a two-phase solution. First, the team sorted all samples into two categories: those designated for transfer and those to be retained. Specialized teams were assigned to each storage condition to ensure safe and efficient segregation. In phase two, NOVACES developed a custom “checkout” system similar to a grocery store process. This included a tailored inventory management application that used barcode scanning and custom check-out lanes to expedite and document the chain-of-custody process. Within one week, BP successfully transferred nearly all requested samples to the opposing law firm. A final inventory revealed that only seven samples were initially unaccounted for. These were later located, but the law firm declined to take further custody. BP had already demonstrated full control and integrity of the sample inventory.
Key Takeaways
Court Compliance & Cost Reduction
BP sought to reduce long-term storage costs for ~265,000 court-ordered samples while maintaining compliance and legal defensibility.
Litigation Pressure
A law firm representing opposing interests requested custody of 132,000 samples within one month to challenge BP’s claims of sample traceability.
Complex Logistics
Samples were stored across multiple storage environments with strict safety protocols, and the requested samples were intermixed with non-requested ones, increasing retrieval complexity.
Strategic Project Leadership
BP enlisted NOVACES to lead the effort and design an efficient solution under tight legal and operational constraints.
Two-Phase Approach
NOVACES implemented a structured process involving (1) sorting samples into transfer/retain categories and (2) deploying a custom barcode-based inventory management and checkout system.
Rapid Execution
Nearly all 132,000 samples were successfully prepared and transferred within one week.
Proof of Integrity
Only seven samples were initially unaccounted for, later located; the opposing law firm declined to pursue further custody, validating BP’s sample management credibility.