[.ca] Offshore Pioneers: Brown & Root and the History of ... (ISBN 0884151387)

Giants of Offshore Oil Platforms:
This is the history of Brown & Root's Marine Division. Drawing heavily from their knowledge of building warships during World War II, Brown & Root installed the first oil platform out of sight from land off the coast of Louisiana for the Kerr Magee Oil Company in 1947. This was Brown & Root's entry into the offshore construction market. They kept building and installing platforms in increasing depths of the Gulf of Mexico as well as venturing into offshore spots around the world, such as off the coast of Alaska and the most famous offshore location of the North Sea. The book details many of these large well known projects as well as Project Mohole, the cancelled program to drill into the Earth's core from an ocean drill ship. Brown & Root was a participant in this project. An interesting book for anyone who has worked in the offshore oil industry or has an interest in it.

Decent history of the offshore oil & gas industry's beginnings:
For anyone interested in the beginnings of the marine oil and gas industry, Offshore Pioneers provides a good general history. Since this book was commissioned by Brown & Root, you should expect a certain level of bias. Brown & Root's achievements are obviously highlighted while their defeats are understandably downplayed. This history includes the significant roles of other participants, though mainly in relation to Brown & Root, either as competitor, customer or co-venturer. Beginning with the first baby-steps in offshore exploration (long platforms connecting shore to site), this history lesson progresses to the innovation and ingenuity necessary to explore and exploit hydrocarbons from new environments, such as Lake Maracaibo, the Bay of Campeche, California (short lived program though it was) and the North Sea. As an offshore service analyst, I constantly seek out information on the industry, whether current or historical. Brown and Root did play a large role in the development of the offshore oil and gas industry, from constructing the first platforms out into the Gulf of Mexico, engineering massive North Sea structures, laying pipe in several environments, building construction barges and performing project management. My father had worked for the company for 25 years, and I had already developed an appreciation for their can-do attitude and willingness to work in any environment. If you're looking for a history of the industry's humble beginnings, this is a great book to read. However, Brown & Root ceased being a major force in the offshore energy industry during the 1980's, so don't expect to find any recent history in this work.