ExxonMobil Halts Drilling After Oil Spill

ExxonMobil said Tuesday afternoon that it shut down operations at three offshore oil in California last week a month after a corroded pipeline owned by Plains All American Pipeline ruptured, cutting off the flow of XOM's oil.

According to federal regulators, the ruptured pipeline was extensively corroded. According to preliminary findings from the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the section of pipe that ruptured had worn down to 1/16 of an inch. They also discovered a 6-inch crack along the bottom of the pipe.(credit:Jeff Reed)

What does this tell us or what lesson learned hear? Pipeline integrity diminishes with time hence regular inspection procedures should be strictly followed.