Ocean Ranger

Uncommon card · No. 91279

Ocean Ranger was a semi-submersible mobile oil platform that sank in Canadian waters on 15 February 1982. It was drilling an exploration well on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, 267 kilometres (166 mi) east of St. John's, Newfoundland, for Mobil Oil of Canada, Ltd. (MOCAN) with 84 crew members on board when it sank. There were no survivors. Refloated in 1983 due to its wreck posing a hazard to shipping, Ocean Ranger was towed to deeper water and sunk again. Three divers died in the operation, bringing the total loss of life from the sinking to 87. The loss of the platform led to numerous lawsuits against the owners, which were eventually settled out of court for a grand total of $20 million, and changes in operation and safety standards were enacted to prevent similar disasters in the future.

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