Spills · wellhead

Bahia de campeche, mexico

Ixtoc I; Bahia de Campeche, Mexico · NOAAORR-6250

issued
1979-06-03 00:00Z
status
cancelled 1979-06-17 00:00Z
self-cancels
1979-06-17 00:00Z
authority
NOAA OR&R
sea
Gulf of Mexico
position
19.408, -92.325
source
incidentnews · first seen 2026-09-03 15:09Z

Original warning text

IXTOC I; Bahia de Campeche, Mexico.
Bahia de Campeche, Mexico.
1. On June 3, 1979, the 2 mile deep exploratory well, IXTOC I, blew out in the Bahia de Campeche, 600 miles south of Texas in the Gulf of Mexico. The water depth at the wellhead site is about 50 m (164 feet). The IXTOC I was being drilled by the SEDCO 135, a semi-submersible platform on lease to Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX). A loss of drilling mud circulation caused the blowout to occur. The oil and gas blowing out of the well ignited, causing the platform to catch fire. The burning platform collapsed into the wellhead area hindering any immediate attempts to control the blowout. PEMEX hired blowout control experts and other spill control experts including Red Adair, Martech International of Houston, and the Mexican diving company, Daivaz. The Martech response included 50 personnel on site, the remotely operated vehicle TREC, and the submersible Pioneer I. The TREC attempted to find a safe [...]
2. THREAT: OIL. COMMODITY: IXTOC I CRUDE OIL. TAGS: WELLHEAD.
3. POSITION 19.408N 092.325W. NOAA INCIDENTNEWS 6250: https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/6250

This area · spills & pollution incidents

5 within 180 nm since 1979 · 1 in the last 12 months · 0 in force now

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