Oil Rig Photos - Pentagon at Puerto Madryn, Argentina

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Oil Rig Photos

No: 82 Contributor: Garve Scott-Lodge Year: 1995 Country: Argentina

Pentagon at Puerto Madryn, Argentina

I was sent out to Argentina to inspect this rig in 1995. It was eleven years old but had only been used for 18 months, so was in pristine condition. I can't remember the name of the rig, but it was a five-legged 'Pentagon'.

I remember they de-ballasted her and we had to inspect a normally flooded tubular by climbing through a hatch on the underside into the member with head torches. Half way along there was the petrified carcass of a seal stuck to the roof of the tubular - bit of a shock!

Picture added on 30 October 2006

Comments:

Garve,
I did the original Eddy Current Survey on the Port Magellan as it was known in February 1992. There were some carcasses in the lower horizontals then as well.

Added by James Grosset on 15 December 2006.

Thanks James, I remember it being an easy job for me - I worked on it with Bobby Skinner and Gary Watson, both of whom had eddy current tickets. I was only there to carry our UT on anything they found, so spent most of the time lazing on deck whilst they dangled around. At one point there were only the three of us and two Filipino crew on board.

Added by Garve Scott-Lodge on 15 December 2006.

This is the Pentagone 90 (Gral.Enrique Mosconi) which belonged to Rio Colorado Drilling SA. I was a toolpusher on the rig while drilling for Esso off of Tierra del Fuego from 1979 until the outbreak of the Faulkland War. She was then towed to Puerto Madryn and cold stacked. Good little rig and great crews.

Added by Michael Strauss on 19 March 2008.

I was a Sub Sea Engineer for that Platform in 1977-1983. I know almost all about that. I would like to train people in Argentina in offshore and I would like to have drawing, photos, sketch about tools like Base Plate, Base Guide, Rucker Shaffer Compensator. If you wish to help me it should be good for me to know where to get that information. Thank you for your kindness.

Added by Juan Carlos cantallops on 13 June 2008.

Nice picture buddy, my dad works on the Gral Mosconi - he was the medic on board since 1977 to 1981, and then he move out to the Jack Up Rio Colorado 1. Now I'm offshore too, I'm the second generation of oilworkers in my family but, as a Radio Officer/Flight Dispatcher on the Diamond Offshore "Ocean Scepter", we work on the near locations as the Mosconi was drill.

Added by Sergio Nalivaiko on 18 March 2009.

I was the Offshore Installation Manager for Sonat Offshore on the Port Magellan when the rig went to work for Oxy in 1992. We drilled two wells between Rio Gallegos and the Malvanias. The rig was dated, but we were able to drill the wells successfully, but found no oil for Oxy.

Added by Dado Matkins on 07 September 2009.

Wow! Talk about a blast from the past. I was a subsea control field rep for Cameron Iron Works back in the 80's. Spent some time on the Mosconi and found it to be a great rig of its day. Since moved on to other adventures, but it's good to remember.

Added by John D. Knox on 07 May 2010.