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Started By
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1980 Lake Peigneur Sinkhole, Older O&G guys, were you around for this?
Posted on 10/8/15 at 8:49 am
Posted on 10/8/15 at 8:49 am
1980:
Drillers in Lake Peigneur accidentally penetrate a salt dome.
The lake empties into the dome/cavern while salt miners below earth evacuate just in time.
When Lake Peigneur reaches a level lower than a canal that flows to the Gulf of Mexico, the canal reverses direction and quickly fills the lake back up. During the process, the tallest waterfall in Louisiana is temporarily created. This is also the only time in recorded history where the GoM flows North.
The intense pressure of the water flowing into the dome causes a 400' geiser to blow out of the salt mine shaft.
All this because a 14" drill bit accidentally punctured the dome. WOW!
Sounds terrifying. Luckily no one died
Youtube Engineering disasters skip to 2:40 for detailed explanation.
Wiki
Drillers in Lake Peigneur accidentally penetrate a salt dome.
The lake empties into the dome/cavern while salt miners below earth evacuate just in time.
When Lake Peigneur reaches a level lower than a canal that flows to the Gulf of Mexico, the canal reverses direction and quickly fills the lake back up. During the process, the tallest waterfall in Louisiana is temporarily created. This is also the only time in recorded history where the GoM flows North.
The intense pressure of the water flowing into the dome causes a 400' geiser to blow out of the salt mine shaft.
All this because a 14" drill bit accidentally punctured the dome. WOW!
Sounds terrifying. Luckily no one died
Youtube Engineering disasters skip to 2:40 for detailed explanation.
Wiki
This post was edited on 10/8/15 at 8:51 am
Posted on 10/8/15 at 8:56 am to Tigeralum2008
Not an O&G guy, but I was around back then. I think there were only 1 or 2 human casualties, if I remember right. Crazy.
Posted on 10/8/15 at 8:57 am to Tigeralum2008
Wasn't around for that ome, but there's currently one in bayou corne, which might as well be known as Pierre part
Posted on 10/8/15 at 9:02 am to Tigeralum2008
I seem to remember seeing something that said that it completely changed the ecology of the lake. For the better actually.
Posted on 10/8/15 at 9:07 am to Tigeralum2008
In kindergarten , still remember the video from the news that afternoon
Posted on 10/8/15 at 9:07 am to Tigeralum2008
Wasn't around but had family who was and heard the stories growing up. They used the wrong reference for their surface coordinates, placed the rig in the wrong location, and drilled into the mine. It sucked down the rig and barges. The river began to flow backwards and the GOM actually flowed inland for a day or so.
The barges popped back to the surface after but the rig is still down there somewhere.
It was a freshwater lake before. Now it's brackish.
The barges popped back to the surface after but the rig is still down there somewhere.
It was a freshwater lake before. Now it's brackish.
Posted on 10/8/15 at 9:15 am to Boudreaux35
quote:I don't think anyone died
I think there were only 1 or 2 human casualties
Posted on 10/8/15 at 9:15 am to Boudreaux35
was there two weeks before it happened...
Posted on 10/8/15 at 9:16 am to ForeverLSU02
No one died .....my family lives on the lake. Wasn't a sinkhole either....they were drilling and tapped the salt mine.
This post was edited on 10/8/15 at 9:18 am
Posted on 10/8/15 at 9:16 am to Tigeralum2008
Sounds a lot like "Scott's Sink Hole."
What a jerk!
What a jerk!
Posted on 10/8/15 at 9:17 am to Tigeralum2008
Everyone got out of the mine right?
Posted on 10/8/15 at 9:17 am to ForeverLSU02
It had to be incredible to watch.
Posted on 10/8/15 at 9:19 am to Tigeralum2008
Grandmas cousin was fishing in the lake when it happened. He never fished again.
Posted on 10/8/15 at 9:19 am to Nado Jenkins83
quote:
Everyone got out of the mine right?
Everyone abandoned the mine and rig in time. I wouldn't have wanted to be in the mine and see water leaking in. Through salt no less.
Posted on 10/8/15 at 9:19 am to Tigeralum2008
thats fricking terrifying
Posted on 10/8/15 at 9:20 am to L S Usetheforce
Was he the old guy in the History Channel video you can find on YouTube. Viator?
Posted on 10/8/15 at 9:22 am to Tigeralum2008
quote:
It had to be incredible to watch.
There's videos on youtube. At least one aerial video shot from an airplane.
But yea, it had to be unreal in person.
Posted on 10/8/15 at 9:22 am to Tigeralum2008
quote:
It had to be incredible to watch.
there are youtube video of the actual footage..it's quite amazing.
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