Coast Guard: Failed blowout preventer from Gulf spill arrives at NASA facility for analysis

Oil well blowout preventer reaches NASA facility

NEW ORLEANS — A Coast Guard official says the 300-ton device that failed to stop the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill after a rig exploded has arrived at a NASA facility in Louisiana for analysis.

Lt. Suzanne Kerver told The Associated Press that the barge carrying the blowout preventer reached the New Orleans facility around 3:30 p.m. CDT on Saturday.

A week ago, the device was lifted from a mile beneath the sea and secured to the deck of the Helix Q4000. It was later transferred to a barge.

Government investigators plan to analyze it to determine why it failed. It is considered a key piece of evidence in ongoing investigations.

The April 20 explosion killed 11 workers and led to 206 million gallons of oil spewing from BP PLC’s undersea well.