BP Shafts Inventor Of Plug That Stopped the Leak and Saved Them Billions

A lawsuit filed in Florida against two BP companies alleges that in the wake of the Macondo well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico, the oil giant was so desperate to fix the problem and preserve its finances that it stole the inventions of a retired inventor whose designs ultimately played a crucial role in helping seal the well for good.

That design, which included a unique inflatable seal intended to fit a riser pipe to the gushing well, was allegedly so effective that BP revised its whole plan just one day later, opting instead for the retired engineer’s solution because it enabled them to capture even more oil as they lowered a containment device onto the well.

BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles even commented to reporters at the time that their new plan to attach a riser pipe to the well helped secure the “Top Hat” container by preventing the formation of ice crystals, which had previously caused it to float.

To Joseph F. Kaminski, a retired engineer living in Florida, that innovation was worth approximately $2 million, which his lawsuit says he demanded shortly after presenting his designs. But instead of thanking him and paying for the invention, potentially helping save BP billions in fines and legal fees, Kaminski now alleges that the company outwardly rejected his plans but secretly used his designs anyway, giving him nothing in return.

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