Drilling error near Lake Peigneur

In 1980, a drilling error in Louisiana led to the near-complete disappearance of Lake Peigneur, a shallow freshwater lake near Jefferson Island. The incident was caused by oil drilling operations conducted by a team commissioned by Texaco.

Mistaken drill location

The drilling team mistakenly drilled into an abandoned salt mine, the Diamond Crystal mine, which had been in operation since 1919. A positioning error of about 400 feet caused the drilling to pierce the mine's galleries instead of virgin rock.

Drilling tool becomes stuck

The error occurred more than 370 meters below the surface, where a drilling tool became stuck at approximately 1,228 feet of depth. This led to a catastrophic chain of events as water from the lake rushed into the breach.

Catastrophic effects on the lake

The breach created a powerful vortex that sucked in eleven barges and reversed the Delcambre canal, transforming the freshwater lake into a 200-foot-deep salt lake. The incident resulted in the complete collapse of the mine galleries.

Evacuation and legal resolution

All 55 miners and seven workers on the platform were evacuated safely. The disaster was resolved with a legal settlement between Texaco, its subcontractor Wilson Brothers, and Diamond Crystal, amounting to $32 million in compensation.

Surreal aftermath

The disaster is noted for its surreal nature, with the lake's transformation and the reversed canal being among its most striking features.