Rig supervisor vs. rig supervisor at trial

NEW ORLEANS — The Deepwater Horizon supervisor who pleaded guilty to a pollution charge in connection with the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill says the colleague now fighting that charge never gave him information that prosecutors say was critical.

Donald Vidrine testified Thursday, the second day of Robert Kaluza’s trial, about a test meant to show whether drilling mud below the ocean floor was heavy enough to stand up to the pressure of oil and gas farther down.

Vidrine was BP’s night supervisor on the rig; Kaluza was the day supervisor.

Answering “no” to questions from Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Saulino, Vidrine said Kaluza never told him several specific pieces of information about the test.

Then she asked, if he assumed that everything she’d asked about was true, “did you ever get a good test on the Horizon that night?”

“Not to my knowledge, no,” Vidrine replied.

In a similar exchange, Vidrine also said Kaluza never voiced worries that the test might have failed or have been incomplete.

The rig exploded in flames late on April 20, 2010, killing 11 workers. Vidrine pleaded guilty to the mis- demeanor charge on which Kaluza is being tried: violating the Clean Water Act.

Saulino said in an opening statement Wednesday that there were several reasons the well blew, but Kaluza was partly responsible.

Defense attorney Shaun Clarke said Kaluza stopped work on the well before his shift ended and was off duty, leaving the decision about what happened next to Vidrine.