aue-mike
Contributor
Everyone has heard of the DEEPWATER HORIZON disaster, but I suspect few are aware of the loss of the C.P. BAKER off Louisiana. The C.P. BAKER was one of the very first drilling ships for the oil and gas industry in the Gulf of Mexico. Following the success of the CUSS 1 (Conoco, Union Oil, Superior and Shell oil companies), the first offshore drilling ship, two surplus World War II era hulls were bonded together to create a catamaran, whereupon a deck and drilling rig were then constructed. Less than two years after being delivered to her new owners, however, the C.P. BAKER had a catastrophic blowout and explosion in 1964, which resulted in the loss of the vessel and the lives of 21 crew. The wreck of the C.P. BAKER now rests upside down in 190 feet of water in the Gulf of Mexico.