Louisiana Oil Spill: Feds Gave Safety Prize to Transocean's Deepwater Horizon

May 4, 2010 — -- The federal agency charged with enforcing safety on deepwater oil rigs has also played a major role in promoting the industry's claim that it is safe, and in 2009 handed out one of its top prizes for safety to Transocean's Deepwater Horizon.

Transocean's safety effort included two dance videos, one of them a hip-hop video promoting safety that was filmed on the Deepwater Horizon. The Deepwater Horizon exploded last week, killing 11 and unleashing what could become one of the worst oil spill disasters in the nation's history.

The Minerals Management Service, which falls under the U.S. Department of Interior, touts the recipients in government press releases and hosts an awards luncheon at a lavish industry association conference in Houston. This year's luncheon was scheduled for Monday before it was abruptly canceled.

"The ongoing situation with the Transocean Deepwater Horizon drilling accident has caused the MMS to dedicate considerable resources to the successful resolution of this event which will conflict with holding this ceremony next week," a statement released on the conference web site says. " The MMS will announce an alternative plan during the next several weeks."

MMS issued its SAFE award to Transocean for its performance in 2008, crediting the company's "outstanding drilling operations" and a "perfect performance period." Transocean spokesman Guy Cantwell told ABC News the awards recognized a spotless record during repeated MMS inspections, and should be taken as evidence of the company's longstanding commitment to safety.

One element of Transocean's safety campaign was a campy, and now somewhat macabre, music video that was filmed on the decks of the Deepwater Horizon rig. The video uses hip-hop songs to encourage workers to "keep your hands clear" while performing tasks. In one scene, workers in red jump suits dance on the platform's helipad.

A second video shows Transocean President and COO Steven Newman making good on a promise to do a dance if the India division had the best safety record in the company two years in a row. Newman and backup dancers perform to the sounds of music from an Indian movie at a company meeting in Mumbai in February 2009.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE DANCE VIDEOS