The Deepwater Horizon was an offshore drilling rig operated by Transocean and owned by BP. On April 20, 2010, it experienced a catastrophic blowout while drilling an exploratory well in the Gulf of Mexico. This incident led to a massive oil spill, releasing millions of barrels of crude oil into the ocean over a period of 87 days. The disaster resulted in significant environmental damage, affecting marine life and coastal ecosystems. It also caused extensive economic losses for local fishing and tourism industries. The event prompted widespread scrutiny of safety practices in the oil and gas industry and led to numerous legal and regulatory changes.