Note: This case study is cited here not due to a fire incident but due to the lack of safety awareness and training, resulting in a change of industry standards. This can only mean improvements for fire safety and the significant loss of life.

What happened to the Ocean Ranger offshore drilling unit?

The Ocean Ranger was a mobile offshore drilling platform constructed in 1976. On 15 February 1982 it sank off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, in stormy conditions.

It remains the biggest accident in Canada’s offshore petroleum industry.

How did the Ocean Ranger sink?

As the storm raged it produced high waves which damaged a porthole, allowing an intake of water. This produced the following sequence of events:

• Ingress of sea water into the ballast control room
• Ballast control panel malfunction
• The malfunction caused several valves in the regi’s ballast control system to open due to a short circuit
• The Ocean Ranger assumed a forward list (tilting forwards)
• Sea water began flooding in
• Progressive flooding of the chain lockers and subsequent flooding of the upper deck resulted in a loss of buoyancy - enough to cause the rig to capsize

What can the industry learn from the Ocean Ranger sinking?

A Royal Commission criticised the industry for poor safety training, equipment and lax inspection. This spurred a profound shift in Canada’s offshore safety policies.