Faults in BP disaster probed by House

"BP, one of the world's largest oil companies, assured Congress and the public that it could operate safely in deep water and that a major oil spill was next to impossible. We now know that those assurances were wrong," Waxman said in his prepared remarks.

Waxman's comments focused on the shortcomings involved in the case, noting faults in equipment, operations and emergency response.

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"[A]t this early stage in the investigation, we have far more questions than answers," he said.

Among two prominent possible problems were the failure of a device meant to cut through the drilling pipe to prevent an uncontrolled oil release, known as a "blowout" and the possible inadequacy of a process to secure drilling infrastructure to prevent unwanted oil and gas from affecting operations.

Waxman noted that one key pressure test done to ensure the effectiveness of a recent "cementing" procedure carried out by oil services giant Halliburton Co., may not have passed some tests related to securing large well pipes for drilling.

Waxman mentioned that there was "confusion among BP officials" which "appears to echo confusion on the rig" about the number of tests done on the cementing process, citing his staff's interviews with one BP executive and lawyers for BP who contacted the Committee yesterday.

"Information reviewed by the Committee describes an internal debate between Transocean and BP personnel about how to proceed," Waxman said.

Just hours after tests were done, gas surged through the pipes and exploded on the rig.

"The more I learn about this accident, the more concerned I become. This catastrophe appears to have been caused by a calamitous series of equipment and operational failures," Waxman said.

The four areas of inquiry the Committee is pursuing involve well integrity, events on drill rig, a probe into the failed emergency device known as a blowout preventer, and the response of BP and other companies to the spill.