Lake Peigneur: The Swirling Vortex of Doom

Lake Peigneur: The Swirling Vortex of Doom

Flashback to Thursday, November 21, 1980. This day may seem of little importance to many. However, if you were living near New Iberia, Louisiana, you will probably never be able to forget the strange series of events that took place on this date.

Initially, this day started out just like any other day (all strange stories seem to begin this way). The sun was just about to rise on Lake Peigneur. Located on this 1,300 acre lake, which was just eleven feet deep, was Jefferson Island, home to beautiful Live Oak Gardens. Contrasting with this natural beauty were many oil and gas rigs they dotted the
lake's perimeter.

Here we find the Wilson Brothers Corporation, which had been hired by Texaco, drilling a test hole at Well No. 20. The first 1,227 feet of drilling seemed to go very smoothly. But something started to go haywire at 1,228 feet.

This is footage of the actual event. Mind Boggling to say the least.



Despite the enormous destruction of property, no human life was lost in this disaster, nor were there any serious injuries. Within two days, what had previously been an eleven-foot-deep freshwater body was replaced with a 1,300-foot-deep saltwater lake. The lake's biology was changed drastically, and it became home to many species of plants and fish which had not been there previously.

Of course numerous lawsuits were filed, and they were subsequently settled out-of-court for many millions of dollars. The owners of the Crystal Diamond salt mine received a combined $45 million in damages from Texaco and the oil drilling company, and got out of the salt mining business for good.

No official blame for the miscalculation was ever decided, because all of the evidence was sucked down the drain, but the story described here is the generally accepted theory of what caused this massive disaster.

The moral of this story? The next time that you need a well drilled, make sure someone has checked to see what you are drilling into!

Lake Peigneur Vortex

Lake Vortex

Wow now that was awesome and really unbelievable that noone was killed.

I found it strange that those barrages should pop up again as if nothing ever happend as well. I aslo wonder if the guy responsible for doing the drilling got another job after this mishap

I know I wouldn't hire that guy again. Even though this happened back in the 80', yesterday was the first time I heard of this. If I was in the area at the time I would have thought some Biblical stuff was going down. I am not one for organized religion, but this might have converted me.

Imagine if this really wasn't a drilling accident, what if it was a black hole that formed on Earth.

Though this was before my time, I can't believe I've never heard about it.

Thanks for bringing it up.

I wonder if this could happen again. What other Lakes have mines below them. It would probably have to be a salt mine though. I am not sure.

I think it is mind-boggling that the Gulf of Mexico reversed it's flow back in to the river. I also think it is amazing that the whole lake changed from a fresh water lake to a salt water lake.

It is fascinating.

I think that the chance of this happening is very remote, oil companies use ground penetrating radar to find gaps and caverns before they set up a drill platform.

Though I guess if they employed the dolt who caused this one, there may be a possibility.

OK...That is true, it probably would never happen again, I never thought of the radar. They probably have GPS now too.

There has to be one person that was to blame for all of this. One guy on the rig that said "Just one more foot".

That man should have been sacrificed to the Vortex.

We would all then be able to live in piece, knowing our local 10 foot deep, freshwater lakes would never disappear into a void and reemerge as a 1300 foot deep salt lake.

[edit on 4/15/2007 by digitalassassin]

I'd like to know more people's reactions. How many people remember this? How many are hearing about it for the first time?

If anyone did hear about this before today, what was said on the news at the time? Before they figured out what the cause really was.

I could only imagine what would be said today if this same sort of thing were to happen.

I've seen that Documentary before, and it is really amazing how it happened. I would really think that they would have seen the mine shaft area, I don't know about salt mines, but Coal mines are fairly obvious in a flat area.

Amazing how quick it dissolved the salt though, a bit faster than I would have expected.

Was the program called "Engineering Disasters"? I think that was the one.

I do believe that was the name of the show. I missed a bunch though, I wish they were showing a repeat sometime soon.

I honestly thought more people would be amazed by this.

With my slow dial up it took me nearly an hour to download the video, but it was definately well worth the time spent. I had never heard of this disaster, and the footage was amazing. Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention, and adding to my education.

Kudos!

It really is fantastic footage of an event I never thought possible.

That was amazing !
Im glad you posted never heard of anything like that before.
All from a 14 inch drill bit !!!!

Wish I knew he exact cause.

Hope that this does not happen in the ocean some how, that would be something no words could describe.

OMG...could you imagine this happening to the ocean, we would be screwed. On the other hand there would be no more Tsunamis...

I really want to know if any other lakes have mines under them. Be cause if so they better watch out.

I love digging up 3 year old M.I.A - presumed dead threads.

just came across this video on youtube, never heard of it either, but that footage is amazing.

I wonder how many drill sites went FUBAR in the history of drilling.

I stumbled across the History Channel's coverage of the Lake Peigneur on You Tube today. I was born and raised in the South, but I missed this event completely! Wow... scary what devastation we can cause.

reply to post by digitalassassin


Thanks for getting this out. I probably wouldn't believe this story if someone were to have told me this happened. I cannot imagine what was going through their minds seeing something like this happen. I would have been in awe at seeing those barges going down,but to see them pop back up must have been insane.