Ocean Ranger

THE OCEAN RANGER, an oil-drilling sea rig, was built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan and first operated in the Bering Sea off Alaska in 1976. From there it move to New Jersey, then Ireland, and in November 1980 arrived on the Grand Banks off eastern Canada. On the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, the rig was operated by ODECO Drilling of Canada, under contract to Mobil Oil of Canada. ODECO was to manage the operation of the rig and crew, whereas Mobil was responsible for the drilling program.

The Ocean Ranger was a massive oil rig touted as unsinkable and able to drill in areas too dangerous for other rigs. It was the pride of the offshore oil industry, the biggest rig of its day, more ...