This Wave Killed All 84 Men

Summary

The Ocean Ranger, a massive semi-submersible oil rig, faced a severe winter storm in the Grand Banks off Newfoundland in 1982. Despite its design to withstand harsh conditions, the storm overwhelmed the rig, causing a rogue wave to flood its ballast control room. This led to a loss of stability, a mayday call, and ultimately, the rig capsized with the tragic loss of all 84 crew members. The incident highlighted the perils of offshore drilling and the importance of rigorous safety measures.

Takeaways

• 🌊 The Ocean Ranger was a self-propelled, semi-submersible offshore drilling rig capable of operating in severe weather conditions.
• 📏 It was the world's largest semi-submersible platform at the time of its construction, weighing almost 25,000 tons.
• 📍 Located in the Grand Banks, an area known for rich oil and gas reserves but also severe weather conditions.
• ⚠️ On February 14, 1982, the crew received forecasts of an approaching severe winter storm linked to a major Atlantic Cyclone.
• 🛠 The rig was designed to handle winds up to 100 knots and waves up to 110 feet high, but the storm exceeded these limits.
• 🌀 A rogue wave hit the rig, damaging the ballast control room and causing seawater to flood the control center.
• 💡 The ballast control system was critical for maintaining the rig's stability, but it malfunctioned due to the flood.
• 🚨 The crew tried to manually control the ballast tanks, but they were untrained in manual override procedures.
• 🆘 A Mayday call was made, and support vessels were alerted, but the severe list of the rig made evacuation extremely difficult.
• 🔍 Despite rescue efforts, all 84 crew members were lost, and only 22 bodies were recovered.
• 💸 The rig was eventually re-floated and sunk in deeper water, but the salvage operation resulted in additional fatalities.

Q & A

What type of oil rig was the Ocean Ranger?

The Ocean Ranger was a self-propelled, semi-submersible offshore drilling rig.

Who owned and operated the Ocean Ranger?

The Ocean Ranger was owned by Ocean Drilling and Exploration (ODECO) and chartered to Mobile Oil Canada, a subsidiary of the American company Mobile Corporation.

What was the significance of the Grand Banks in relation to the Ocean Ranger?

The Grand Banks is an area in the North Atlantic Ocean known for its rich oil and gas reserves. The Ocean Ranger was working in this area, specifically at the Hibernia oilfield.

What was the weather forecast for the Grand Banks on February 14, 1982?

On February 14, 1982, the weather forecast for the Grand Banks predicted a severe winter storm linked to a major Atlantic Cyclone.

What was the designed capability of the Ocean Ranger in terms of withstanding weather conditions?

The Ocean Ranger was designed to handle winds up to 100 knots and waves up to 110 feet high.

What happened to the Ocean Ranger during the storm on the night of February 14, 1982?

A rogue wave hit the Ocean Ranger, shattering a porthole window in the ballast control room, causing seawater to flood the room and malfunction the ballast control system.

What was the critical failure that led to the Ocean Ranger's instability?

The critical failure was the flooding of the ballast control room, which led to the malfunction of the ballast control system, causing the rig to become progressively unstable.

What emergency procedures did the crew attempt to implement?

The crew tried to manually control the ballast tanks, halted all drilling operations, prepared for potential evacuation, shut down non-essential systems, and shared the drill string and cut away from the blowout preventer.

What was the final fate of the Ocean Ranger?

The Ocean Ranger capsized and sank on February 15, 1982, at 0313, resulting in the loss of all 84 crew members.

What were the challenges faced by the rescue teams during the incident?

Rescue teams faced extreme weather conditions with high winds, rough seas, and poor visibility, which made it difficult to reach the Ocean Ranger and evacuate the crew.

What was the aftermath of the Ocean Ranger disaster in terms of salvage and recovery?

The wreckage of the Ocean Ranger was located and re-floated for sinking in deeper water. During salvage operations, three divers lost their lives in separate incidents.

Outlines

00:00

🌊 Ocean Ranger's Design and Storm Challenge

The Ocean Ranger, a self-propelled semi-submersible drilling rig, is designed to withstand severe weather conditions. It operates in the Grand Banks, known for its oil reserves and harsh weather. The rig is massive, weighing almost 25,000 tons, and is equipped with ballast tanks for stability. Despite being designed to handle extreme conditions, it faces a powerful storm linked to an Atlantic Cyclone. The crew, confident in the rig's capabilities, prepares for the storm by securing equipment and managing the ballast tanks. However, a rogue wave hits another rig, foreshadowing the severity of the situation.

05:00

💡 Rig's Stability Compromised by Rogue Wave

A rogue wave shatters a porthole in the ballast control room of the Ocean Ranger, causing seawater to flood the room and malfunction the electronic equipment. This leads to a loss of control over the rig's stability as the ballast system fails. The crew struggles to manually control the ballast tanks amidst worsening conditions. The rig begins to list severely, and emergency procedures are initiated, including halting drilling operations and preparing for potential evacuation. Despite efforts, the situation becomes dire as the rig's list increases, and support vessels are alerted for assistance.

10:03

🚨 Abandonment and Rescue Efforts

As the Ocean Ranger lists severely, the crew faces the terrifying prospect of abandoning the rig. They prepare lifeboats and essential survival gear amidst rising panic. The Seaforth Highlander, a support vessel, arrives to find bodies floating in the water and attempts a rescue, but the conditions are too severe. The rig's lifeboats are difficult to launch due to the list, and the rescue efforts are hampered by extreme weather. A rescue helicopter's attempt to retrieve a survivor is unsuccessful due to the harsh conditions, and the search turns into a recovery operation after the rig capsizes.

15:04

🕊 Aftermath and Salvage

The Ocean Ranger's capsizing results in the loss of all 84 crew members. Only 22 bodies are recovered. The rig's wreckage is located, and it's decided to re-float and sink it in deeper water due to the hazard it poses. During salvage operations, three divers lose their lives in separate incidents, increasing the death toll to 87. The incident highlights the extreme dangers faced by offshore oil rig workers and the tragic consequences of the Ocean Ranger disaster.

Keywords

💡Ocean-going oil platforms

Ocean-going oil platforms are large structures designed to extract oil and gas from beneath the ocean floor. These platforms are engineered to operate in harsh marine environments and must be able to withstand severe weather conditions. In the video, the Ocean Ranger is an example of such a platform, designed to work in the Grand Banks area known for its rich oil reserves and extreme weather.

💡Semi-submersible

A semi-submersible is a type of offshore drilling rig that floats on two large pontoons, a significant portion of which are submerged beneath the water line. These rigs are designed for stability in rough seas and can operate in deeper waters compared to traditional fixed platforms. The Ocean Ranger, as described in the script, is a self-propelled semi-submersible capable of drilling in ocean depths of 1500 feet.

💡Ballast tanks

Ballast tanks are compartments on a ship or rig that can be filled with water to adjust the vessel's stability and buoyancy. They play a critical role in maintaining the platform's balance, especially in rough seas. In the context of the video, the Ocean Ranger's ballast tanks are mentioned as a key component in its stability, with the crew managing them in preparation for the storm.

💡Grand Banks

The Grand Banks is a region in the North Atlantic Ocean, known for its rich oil and gas reserves. It is also notorious for its severe weather conditions, particularly during winter. The Ocean Ranger was operating in this area when it faced the extreme storm, highlighting the challenges of extracting resources from such environments.

💡Rogue wave

A rogue wave is an unusually large and spontaneous ocean wave that can pose a significant threat to ships and offshore structures. In the video, a rogue wave is mentioned as hitting the Ocean Ranger, causing damage and contributing to the rig's instability, which eventually led to the disaster.

💡List (tilting)

Listing, or tilting, refers to the inclination of a ship or rig to one side. In the context of the video, the Ocean Ranger begins to list severely due to the storm and damage, which complicates the crew's efforts to maintain stability and prepare for evacuation.

💡Mayday call

A Mayday call is an international distress signal used to alert others to a life-threatening situation. In the video, the Ocean Ranger makes a Mayday call when the situation becomes dire, signaling the start of a frantic rescue operation.

💡Evacuation

Evacuation in the context of the video refers to the process of safely removing all crew members from the unstable oil rig. The decision to evacuate is a last resort, indicating the severity of the situation and the risks involved in leaving the rig.

💡Salvage

Salvage refers to the process of recovering a sunken vessel or its contents. After the Ocean Ranger sank, a salvage operation was undertaken to re-float and sink the rig in deeper water to avoid hazards to marine traffic. This process also resulted in further loss of life, as described in the script.

💡Blowout preventer

A blowout preventer (BOP) is a critical safety device used to control dangerous pressure conditions during drilling operations. The script mentions cutting away from the BOP, a last-resort measure to prevent a catastrophic well explosion, drawing a parallel to the Deepwater Horizon disaster where such a measure was not possible.

Highlights

The Ocean Ranger was a self-propelled, semi-submersible offshore drilling rig owned by Ocean Drilling and Exploration (ODECO) and chartered to Mobile Oil Canada.

At the time of its construction, the Ocean Ranger was the world's largest semi-submersible platform, weighing almost 25,000 tons and capable of drilling in ocean depths of 1500 feet.

The rig was designed to withstand severe weather conditions, including winds up to 100 knots and waves up to 110 feet high.

On February 14, 1982, the crew received weather forecasts predicting a severe winter storm approaching the Grand Banks.

Despite the storm's severity, the crew had confidence in the rig's ability to handle it, as it had withstood harsh conditions before.

Standard procedures for preparing for severe weather included securing equipment, sealing doors and portholes, and managing ballast tanks for stability.

A rogue wave hit the nearby Sidco 706 rig, damaging deck gear and washing away a lifeboat, indicating the severity of the storm.

The Ocean Ranger continued drilling operations despite the deteriorating weather, reflecting the offshore industry's commitment to uninterrupted operations.

The crew had to navigate the rig in stormy weather, working to keep everything running smoothly and safely, with constant monitoring of the rig systems.

A rogue wave shattered a porthole window in the ballast control room, flooding the room with seawater and causing the system to malfunction.

The flooding of the control center led to the malfunction of key components in the ballast control system, making it impossible to maintain the rig's stability.

The crew tried to manually control the ballast tanks, but they lacked the proper training and resources to do so effectively.

Emergency procedures were implemented, including halting drilling operations and preparing for a potential evacuation.

The Ocean Ranger made a Mayday call, and support vessels and helicopters were alerted to provide assistance.

Rescue teams faced extreme conditions, including high winds, rough seas, and poor visibility, which limited their ability to reach the Ocean Ranger.

The rig's severe list made it extremely difficult to launch lifeboats, and the crew struggled to do so amidst rising panic and confusion.

The Ocean Ranger capsized and sank at 03:13, and the search and rescue operation turned into a recovery operation.

All 84 crew members aboard the Ocean Ranger were lost, and only 22 bodies were recovered.

The salvage operation of the Ocean Ranger resulted in additional fatalities, bringing the total death toll to 87 men.

Transcripts

ocean-going oil platforms are designed

to withstand the most severe weather

conditions in the middle of the ocean

hundreds of miles from Land the crew of

the ocean Ranger put their faith in the

technology and integrity of the oil rig

but when poor training bad design and

extreme weather conditions line up not

even their faith can save them

the ocean Ranger is a self-propelled

semi-submersible offshore drilling rig

working in an area called the Grand

Banks it's owned by an American company

ocean Drilling and exploration or odeko

for short it's chartered to Mobile Oil

Canada who own the drilling rights for

Hibernia oilfield Mobile Oil Canada is a

subsidiary of the American company

mobile corporation at the time it's

built it's the world's largest

semi-submersible platform the rig weighs

almost 25

000 tons it's 396 feet long 362 feet

wide and 337 feet high making it as high

as a 30-story building of course when

it's floating almost a third of that is

below the water line it floats on two

400 foot long pontoons that lie 80 feet

below the water line these pontoons have

ballast tank compartments that can be

partially filled with seawater this

helps to stabilize the rig in rough Seas

it's capable of drilling in Ocean depths

of 1500 feet the grand Banks lie in the

North Atlantic Ocean 166 miles east of

Saint John's Newfoundland in Canada it's

known for its Rich oil and gas reserves

it's also known for its severe weather

conditions particularly in Winter and

the ocean depths in the area range from

100 feet to 600 feet on the morning of

the 14th of February 1982 84 crew

members aboard the ocean Ranger receive

weather forecasts that predicts a severe

winter storm is rapidly approaching the

grand Banks the storm is linked to a

major Atlantic Cyclone this time of year

the region is often subjected to extreme

weather events and this incoming storm

is forecast to be particularly powerful

the ocean Ranger is designed to weather

such an extreme storm the rigs

previously withstood harsh conditions

leading the crew and the rigs operators

to have confidence in its ability to

handle this storm the crew of the ocean

ranges start to prepare for the severe

weather standard procedures involve

securing any loose equipment checking

that all weather tight doors and

portholes are sealed and ensuring the

stability of the rig by managing its

ballast tanks the ballast control system

is critical in maintaining the rig

stability it regulates the amount of

water in the ballast tanks located

beneath the rig allowing the rig to

adjust its buoyancy instability in

response to the sea conditions in

preparation for the storm the crew

checked the system thoroughly even

though they start making these necessary

precautions there's no immediate cause

for concern they know the rigs weathered

these storms before despite the expected

severity of this storm regular

operations on the rig continue as the

evening sets in the storm reaches the

ocean Ranger high winds and towering

waves dwarf the immense size of the

ocean Ranger it's designed to handle

winds up to 100 knots and waves up to

110 feet high but this storm is proving

to be extraordinarily powerful with

waves that go beyond the Riggs

calculated limits at 1900 a rogue wave

hits a nearby rig the sidco 706 which is

also operated by mobile the wave damages

deck gear and washes away a Lifeboat

despite the deteriorating weather and

increasing sea State the ocean Ranger

continues its drilling operations the

crew have faith in the rig and the

culture of the offshore industry is that

interruptions to operations are avoided

at all costs however the conditions are

becoming challenging the crew have to

navigate the rig in the stormy weather

working to keep everything running

smoothly and safely this requires

constant monitoring of the rig systems

especially the ballast control system

that is crucial to maintaining the rig

stability in the turbulent sea

communication with the shore also

continues reporting on the rig status

and the evolving situation this

commitment to continuing operations in

spite of the declining weather

conditions goes to show the level of

confidence they have in the ocean ranges

design and capabilities or perhaps Their

Fear of reprisals for abandoning their

station

55 to 65 foot waves batter the ocean

Ranger a rogue wave slams into the

ranger just past midnight this Rogue

Wave is significantly larger than other

waves in the storm which are already

pushing the ranger to its calculated

limits the wave strikes with such force

that it shatters the glass of a porthole

window in the ballast control room the

nerve center responsible for maintaining

the rig stability the porthole is only

25 feet above the water line with each

subsequent wave sea water pours into the

room through the broken portal this room

is filled with the electronic equipments

and control panels that control the

ballast tank systems with seawater

flooding the control center system start

and malfunction almost immediately the

sea water causes significant electrical

shorts within the system leading to the

malfunction of key components in the

ballast control system at 2100 the setco

706 radio operator picks up radio

communication on the ocean Ranger

describing how valves on Ocean ranges

ballast systems appear to be opening and

closing on their own the crew can't

control the rigs list and trim and it

becomes progressively more unstable

while the crew tried to manually control

the ballast the storm gets worse and

more sea water pours into the control

center without the ability to properly

control the ballast tanks the rig starts

to list or tilt towards the front of the

rig this means that as the rig rides

into the oncoming waves its bow is

riding lower into each subsequent wave

which pushes it further into the water

rather than riding up and over the

oncoming waves water starts to flood the

forward chain Lockers in the corner

support columns the crew operating the

bat control have several disadvantages

water is wreaking havoc with the

automatic control system but they don't

have the proper training to know how to

manually control the system they don't

even have a manual to look up how to

override the automatic system and take

manual control that might not matter

anyway as the bow dips it forces the

stern higher out of the water the

ballast control pumps are in the stern

of the vessel as the bow sinks and the

stern Rises the ballast pumps don't have

the power to pump water up such a long

incline and out at the stern the degree

of listing increases with every passing

hour the crew begin to implement

emergency procedures these are sets of

predefined actions designed to regain

control over the rig stability and

prevents a complete disaster they

unsuccessfully try to manually control

the ballast tanks they halt all drilling

operations and prepare for a potential

evacuation they shut down all

non-essential systems and operations on

the rig in order to focus all resources

on crisis management they share the

drill string and cut away from the

blowout preventer something the

Deepwater Horizon wasn't able to do I'll

leave a link to that video here while

the crew are experienced and they've

been trained for emergency situations

the combination of a severe storm

malfunctioning equipment and a listing

rig creates an exceptionally challenging

and dangerous situation at 0052 the

ocean Ranger makes a Mayday call standby

support vessel Seaforth Highlander is

requested to come in close

countermeasures against the 10 to 15

degree list are proving ineffective

Canadian Coast Guard and mobile operated

helicopters are alerted just after 0-100

hospitals in St John's are put on

standby the support vessels Bolton tour

and norditor the standby vessels of

sidco 706 and Zapata ukland are

sequestered by the Canadian Coast Guard

to provide assistance in an emergency

situation coast guards have the right to

take control of a vessel at Sea in order

to assist in emergency I've been

sequestered in the waters around Cape

Town when a small boat lost its engines

the Coast Guard directed my crew and I

to the area but by the time we got there

another larger vessel arrived on the

scene who was more capable of assisting

than the sailboat I was in

the support vessels approaching the

ocean Ranger are experiencing the same

winter storm as the ocean Ranger high

winds rough seas and poor visibility

create dangerous conditions that limits

the ability of the rescue teams to reach

the ranger they must navigate through

the violent storm reach the increasingly

unstable ocean Ranger and then Evacuate

the crew in extremely challenging

conditions every minute counts at 0-130

Ocean Ranger transmits its last message

there will be no further radio

communications from the ocean Ranger we

are going to Lifeboat stations

abandoning any boats in the ocean is a

big decision today the rule of thumb is

that you step up onto your life raft

which means your boat has already sunk

beneath you but to evacuate an offshore

oil rig adds several dimensions of

complexity Gathering essential survival

gear ensuring All crew members have life

jackets and readying the lifeboats for

evacuation all while a rig is tilting

abandoning the rig is the last resort

for the crew it means leaving the

perceived safety of the rig and facing

the harsh elements of the storm in a

Lifeboat it must be terrifying to climb

off a huge vessel that's been destroyed

by the storm and climb into a tiny boat

that by comparison is the size of a

bathtub these preparations are taking

place amidst Rising panic and confusion

with the crew acutely aware that their

lives hang in the ballots lifeboats are

designed to be launched even in extreme

conditions but the severe list of the

ocean Ranger makes it extremely

difficult the crew struggle to launch

them against the tilts of the rig the

intense wind and the Monstrous waves the

Riggs lifeboats are designed to use a

gravity drop system and so the rig needs

to be relatively level for them to

launch the crew managed to launch at

least one Lifeboat the Seaforth

Highlander sport vessel arrives on the

scene they can see bodies floating in

the water a Lifeboat with eight or nine

men approaches them the Lifeboat steams

across the stern and pulls alongside

their port quarter the Seaforth is able

to throw lines to the life raft before

they can bring anyone on board the life

raft is battered against the hull of the

seaport Highlander and collapses the men

in the water cling to the Lifeboat which

remains overturned the Seaforth fights

its way through the swell and wind to

reach the men they slowly succumb to the

cold only one man is seen wearing an

orange survival suit the Seaforth

Maneuvers into position and narrowly

misses chopping him up in its propellers

the crew on Deck throw a grappling hook

to try and pull the man onto the boat it

hooks his life jacket but the man slips

below the waterline it's simply not

possible to pull men from the water in

such rough conditions with the equipment

and deck setup they have rescue teams

from the Coast Guard Merchant vessels

Supply boats from other oil rigs

aircraft and helicopters descend on the

scene rescue workers battle against

towering waves freezing temperatures and

powerful winds as they search for

survivors at 0-230 the first rescue

helicopter arrives on the scene Captain

Mike Clark the pilot of the search and

rescue helicopter from Gander lowers

search and rescue technician Master

Corporal Randy Brown from a 24 meter

cable into the freezing water and

Howling Gale to try and retrieve the

first man they see he's already dead

snow and waves estimated at 16 meters

make their efforts impossible it's the

first and last Airborne rescue attempt

the conditions are too dangerous flying

over the search area Rescue helicopters

fight against winds approaching 90 miles

an hour The Heavy Seas make body

recovery impossible Captain Clark

instead tries to guide the support

vessels to Bodies In The Water it

quickly becomes clear that the supply

ship are having to fight for their own

Survival sending men out on Deck to

recover bodies is a suicide mission a

rescue helicopter lands for refueling on

another rig the rig is pitching

violently in The Heavy Seas the

helicopter crew becomes seasick to the

point they have to abandon the refueling

and return to their base on land the

rigs severe list deteriorates until it

reaches a critical point where the rig

is no longer stable at 0313 the ocean

Ranger capsizes and sinks below the

water line the search and rescue

operation turns into a recovery

operation in the days that follow debris

and personal effects from the ocean

Ranger wash up on the Newfoundland Coast

even though hospitals in Saint John's

are on standby not one patient from the

ocean Ranger is admitted all 84 crew

members aboard the ocean Ranger are lost

only 22 bodies of the 84 crew are

recovered they're brought to year 17 in

Saint John's Harbor newspaper reporters

are held back so that no photographs can

be taken a Russian trawler mechanic

tarasov sinks in the same storm the

bodies of the Russian seamen are brought

to the same Pier off duty ocean Ranger

crew members were asked to check the

Russian bodies to make sure no men from

the ocean Ranger were accidentally sent

to Russia after the storm has passed

sonar and underwater rovs are used to

locate the wreckage of the ocean Ranger

on the sea floor the rig lies in water

around 100 feet deep it's decided that

this shallow depth poses a hazard for

marine traffic and so the rig will be

re-floated and sunk in deeper water a

European company is given the contract

to salvage the rig during these

operations two divers are sent to

recover fuel from tanks in the Pontoon

they cut into the Pontoon using a

cutting torch gases from the fuel

ignites creating an explosion killing

the two divers another diver is killed a

week later when a large piece of metal

debris falls from the Salvage ship and

crushes him against the sunken rig

bringing the total death toll of the

ocean Ranger to 87 men

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