In light of the unprecedented events of April 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico involving deepwater offshore exploration of oil and gas, in which the Macondo well blew out resulting in fatalities onboard the platform and a major oil spill, the CAO Vice President initiated an investigation to assess IFC’s procedures and standards when appraising investments in deepwater off shore oil and gas exploration projects. As of September 2010, IFC was involved in deepwater offshore oil and gas development of the Jubilee Field in the waters offshore of Ghana. A CAO compliance appraisal is a preliminary investigation to determine whether the CAO should proceed to a full compliance audit of IFC. Through such appraisals, the CAO ensures that audits of IFC/MIGA are initiated only for those cases that may raise substantial concerns regarding social or environmental outcomes.