Abstract
This chapter discusses different phases of expansion of the offshore oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico. The chapter mentions that the race to exploit offshore oil reserves in the Gulf of Mexico accelerated in 1954 after the resolution of the tidelands dispute and creation of a legal framework for offshore prospecting. Success at prospecting at sea was not the result of a single technological breakthrough, but rather the result of a cluster of related innovations. It is mentioned that during the 1950s, the industry reduced the costs of operating offshore with technological innovations that achieved greater mobility in exploration, speed and capacity in transportation, structural design improvements in platforms, and large scale production aided by submarine pipelines. Offshore operations moved gradually into deeper waters by accumulating knowledge as an industry. Before the offshore oil industry could move into deeper water, geophysical exploration techniques had to advance. Geologists, drillers, and surveyors learned to become sailors, divers, and navigators. The customization of the seismograph to single-ship transportation made marine operations rapid and continuous, offsetting the high costs of prospecting at sea. The high costs of equipment, operations, and lease bonuses, plus the practical difficulties of drilling underwater meant that, to make offshore oil pay, innovations in drilling technology were essential. The flurry of lease auctions for lands off the coast of Louisiana and Texas set off by the resolution of the tidelands controversy opened a new era of marine drilling; which came to be marked by exceptional engineering achievements in mobile drilling rig design. The year 1958 marked the end of what might be called the first major phase of offshore oil development in the Gulf of Mexico. A combination of economic and natural constraints brought about the deceleration in drilling. The late 1950s was a transition for the industry rather than an extended slowdown. Instead of drilling for new reserves, companies focused on cultivating the skills to perform all facets of offshore petroleum development in the 50- to 150-foot depth range. The offshore oil industry continued to innovate and expand, and Brown & Root Marine continued to be one of its pioneers.