committee, i'm tony hayward, chief executive of bp. the explosion of fire aboard the deepwater horizon and the results oil spill in the gulf of mexico -- >> excuse me, mr. hayward, could we ask you to pull that up? some of the members are having trouble hearing. probably over the clicking of the cameras. if you could pull it closer. >> thanks. the explosion and fire aboard the deepwater horizon and the resulting oil spill in the gulf of mexico never should have happened. and i'm deeply sorry that it did. when i learned that 11 men had lost their lives, i was personally devastated. three weeks ago, i attended a memorial service for those men, and it was a shattering moment. i want to offer my sincere condolences to their friends and families. i can only begin to imagine their sorrow. i understand how serious this situation is. it is a tragedy. i want to speak directly to