Trivia: When Mr Jimmy gets off the helicopter, he has a quick discussion with Mr. Skip who is played by director Peter Berg. (00:14:00)
Trivia: During the real Deepwater Horizon oil spill, actor Kevin Costner offered his services, claiming that a small company he bought from the U.S. Department of Energy could clean up 90% of the oil in a week, using poorly-tested technology. His offer was accepted, despite zero evidence that the technology ever worked; and it failed miserably, of course.
Trivia: When Mr. Jimmy is calling out names on the boat to see who's missing, the real Mr. Jimmy Harrell is standing next to him, wearing a dirty grey T-shirt (and presumably playing a random rig worker). You can first see him (from the back) when Russell calls out Caleb Holloway's name. The first view of his face is just as Russell gets out the life raft onto the deck of the rescue ship. (01:28:30)
Answer: According to survivor reports, yes. In a gas blow-out, a huge quantity of pressurized petroleum gas pours out for many seconds, forming a rapidly-expanding cloud, before a single spark finally ignites it. Typically, the outpouring of gas creates its own spark as static electricity builds up.
Charles Austin Miller