Ocean Ranger

The Ocean Ranger was a big rig the Ocean Drilling and Exploration Company ( ODECO ) in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean and 315 kilometers southeast of St. John's at the Grand Banks. It was damaged by a rogue wave and sank on 15 February 1982. All 84 crew members were killed.

The Ocean Ranger was the largest drilling platform in their time. She was 121.5 meters long, 90.7 meters wide. The work platform was located 46.2 meters above the keel. It was built in 1976 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan. Your application was initially off the coasts of Alaska, New Jersey and Ireland until it was brought to the Grand Banks in November 1980. Since it was assumed that she was unsinkable because of its size, it was used in areas that were too dangerous for smaller rigs.

The disaster

On Sunday, February 14, 1982, drew a winter storm with wind speeds up to 160 km / hr from Newfoundland Grand Banks direction.

At 19:00 clock reported the Ocean Ranger ( Position46.725333333333 - 48.834166666667Koordinaten: 46 ° 43 ' 31 " N, 48 ° 50 ' 3" W ) of up to 20 meters ( " 55 up to about 65 feet " ) high waves who met on the platform. A wave hit the control room of the ballast tanks, who was only nine feet above sea level. Since the steel storm plate was not mounted, water penetrated into the control room and caused a short circuit. Due to the failure of the pumps got the platform in a threatening difficulties. An attempt to dry the relay and take the control back into operation failed. The crew then tried to start the pump by hand. However, since any instruction manuals lacked the ballast tank system, an even greater imbalance of the platform was caused by the incorrect operation.

On February 15, at 1:30 clock was ordered to leave the platform. Insufficient safety drills but panic broke out on board, and many of the crew members jumped aboard the platform, rather than seek the lifeboats. Rescue attempts by helicopter and the supply ship Seaforth Highlanders were not successful because of the rough seas.

At 3:38 clock the oil platform sank to the bottom of the Grand Banks.

The causes of the disaster were then carefully analyzed and led to a significant improvement in the training of crews and new safety technologies on oil rigs.