Emergencies and World Disasters
Ixtoc I: 294 Days of Unstoppable Oil and a Scorched Gulf
24 min•3 augusti 2026
Om avsnittet
Ixtoc I: 294 Days of Unstoppable Oil and a Scorched Gulf
The Gulf was burning for 294 days and three point three million barrels gushed from a single well that crossed international waters and crippled coastal life - how could a blowout resist every fix for nearly a year? What chain of errors and impossible failures kept oil flowing from June 3, 1979 until March 23, 1980?
In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the first sign - drilling mud vanishing into fractured rock - through the fire on the Sedco 135 and the long, costly attempts to stop the flow, asking how relief wells, mud, and a hundred thousand metal balls still failed to close the leak.
Person: Pemex
Event: Ixtoc I blowout
Date: June 3, 1979 to March 23, 1980
Location: Bay of Campeche, roughly 100 km northwest of Ciudad del Carmen
Volume: 3.3 million barrels
- The well began flowing at approximately 30,000 barrels per day.
- Red Adair’s crew reduced the flow from ~30,000 to ~20,000 barrels per day by pumping drilling mud.
- Around 100,000 steel and lead balls were pumped into the well, reducing flow to ~10,000 barrels per day.
- The Sedco 135 rig burned and was deliberately scuttled while the well remained uncontrolled.
- A relief well reached the target but the main well continued to flow for three months after its completion.
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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
The Gulf was burning for 294 days and three point three million barrels gushed from a single well that crossed international waters and crippled coastal life - how could a blowout resist every fix for nearly a year? What chain of errors and impossible failures kept oil flowing from June 3, 1979 until March 23, 1980?
In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the first sign - drilling mud vanishing into fractured rock - through the fire on the Sedco 135 and the long, costly attempts to stop the flow, asking how relief wells, mud, and a hundred thousand metal balls still failed to close the leak.
Person: Pemex
Event: Ixtoc I blowout
Date: June 3, 1979 to March 23, 1980
Location: Bay of Campeche, roughly 100 km northwest of Ciudad del Carmen
Volume: 3.3 million barrels
- The well began flowing at approximately 30,000 barrels per day.
- Red Adair’s crew reduced the flow from ~30,000 to ~20,000 barrels per day by pumping drilling mud.
- Around 100,000 steel and lead balls were pumped into the well, reducing flow to ~10,000 barrels per day.
- The Sedco 135 rig burned and was deliberately scuttled while the well remained uncontrolled.
- A relief well reached the target but the main well continued to flow for three months after its completion.
To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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