What happened to the CP Baker Drilling Barge?

On 30 June 1964 an explosion occurred aboard the CP Baker Drilling Barge which engulfed the entire vessel in flames.

The fire covered an area up to 100 ft around the barge, which sank after around 30 minutes. Gas continued to erupt and burn for 13 hours, with some gas leakage for a further month.

Some survived by jumping from the vessel, but 22 were confirmed dead.

How did the CP Baker Drilling Barge start?

The crew of the vessel began drilling a 10,000 foot well in the Eugene Island area in the Gulf of Mexico. Sometime into the operation the water around the barge began to bubble, boil and eventually geyser up with some force between the hull of the CP Baker.

Water entered the vessel through open doors on the main deck, damaging the electrical power supply.

What can the industry learn from the CP Baker Drilling Barge fire?

An investigation into the incident found three craters 20 ft across the seabed caused by the blowout. The investigation concluded;

• The onboard alarm did sound alerting operators of the need to evacuate, however no one could distinguish the sound from other process alarms
• There was a lack of training provided for operators in the event of an emergency
• Recommendations were put forward to improve training and management policies for control of risks, ensuring operations are exposed to as low as reasonably practicable, including keeping doors closed
• Recommendations were put forward for the requirement of emergency power in such conditions
• There was also a recommendation to control all ignition sources and to segregate risks into zones, ensuring hazardous areas are recognised