Though the platform was erected less than a mile from dry land, its mere existence set a record for both platform size and water depth for the Gulf. The companies built a 30,000-sq-ft wooden platform in 14 ft of water. It was conducted on a 33,000-acre state offshore lease near the town of Creole in Calcasieu Parish about 20 mi east of Cameron, Louisiana. and partner Superior Petroleum, did pay off. One operation, however, spearheaded in 1937 by Pure Oil Co. Several attempts to develop Gulf of Mexico oil had been made before the war, most of them unsuccessful. Onshore geophysical equipment had been modified to allow producers to obtain fundamental reflection seismic records over water, and early marine surveys indicated that classic piercement-type salt domes – around which many onshore oil accumulations could be found – were numerous offshore. If so, they could be tapped from offshore, where plenty of leases were available – at bargain prices. Click here to enlarge imageĪ number of companies reasoned that oil fields that extended to the coastline might reach out beneath the Gulf of Mexico. For nearly 50 years, exploration drilling had proceeded at a high pitch, and by the mid-1940s, it seemed as if most of the "good" onshore acreage already had been leased. Just after World War II, oil companies operating in the United States were seeking fresh drilling prospects with high reserves potential. It was almost incidental to the worldwide petroleum industry that drillers took exploration and production from dry land out into open water. The third of the series, to appear in December, will review recent offshore developments and provide a look ahead. The second part, to appear in the August issue, will examine the state of the art in key technology. Editor's Note: This is the first in a three-part history of the offshore industry.
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