The content of this article comes from the Internet, if it is inconsistent with the actual situation or there is infringement, please contact to delete.
In Louisana, USA, there is a quiet little lake called Lake Pinel. Once upon a time, it was a paradise for freshwater fish, and rare plants flourished around the lake. The lake is not large, only 5 square kilometers, the original depth is only 3 meters, and the water storage is equivalent to 46 times that of Jinan Daming Lake.
However, on November 20-21, 1980, the lake suffered a shocking disaster, it changed from a freshwater lake to a saltwater lake in two days, and the maximum depth of the lake soared from 5 meters to 61 meters, breaking the Louisiana record for lake depth.
At the time of the incident, the drilling team of Wilson Brothers, a contractor for Texaco Oil and Gas, was working on the lake. When they went 400 meters underground, the drill bit got stuck, causing a series of problems. The workers immediately sensed danger because they were in the center of the lake and might have penetrated the salt mines underneath.
Suddenly, there was a loud noise at the bottom of the lake, and the rig began to tilt. The workers hastily abandoned the multimillion-dollar piece of equipment, quickly retreated to the barge, and sailed to shore. However, just a few minutes later, the rig disappeared at the bottom of the lake, and the depth of the lake quickly increased to 61 meters, far exceeding the previous 5 meters.
At the same time, workers who went deep into the mine also noticed the problem, and they noticed that water had seeped into the mine and immediately sent a signal to evacuate. Fifty-five trained salt miners quickly ascended the well, averting a potential hazard.
Once the salt ore at the bottom of the lake is penetrated, the lake water begins to drop rapidly, dissolving the salt ore and forming a large whirlpool with a diameter of more than 400 meters. Not only were the rigs and barges on the lake swallowed, but the lake's fresh water was rapidly disappearing, leaving a huge pothole.
However, the disaster set off a chain reaction. After the lake dried up, the bottom of the lake descended, causing the Del Campo Canal to flow backwards to the Gulf of Mexico, completely altering the surrounding ecosystem. Seawater poured into the lake, turning it into a brackish water lake while destroying the forests and infrastructure on the shore.
A few days later, the air inside the salt mine exploded, jets of water gushed out, and the barge, which had been swallowed, resurfaced. The ecology of Lake Pinel has been completely changed, freshwater life has been replaced by seawater, and the topography of the lake has changed dramatically, forming waterfalls more than 50 meters high.
The root cause of the disaster was that engineers made a mistake in calculating the location of the underground salt mine, and they used an inappropriate coordinate system, which caused the drilling to accidentally penetrate the salt mine, causing the disaster.
The consequences of this human error were enormous, the salt mine was destroyed, industrial salt production suffered a heavy blow, and the ecological environment of the lake was seriously damaged. Fortunately, there were no casualties, but nearby land and ecosystems were severely affected.
The disaster also resulted in huge compensation from Texaco and Wilson Brothers, the closure of the salt mine after 6 years, and Lake Pinel became an astounding geological wonder that changed the face of this small lake forever. This event profoundly taught us that it is essential to master professional knowledge and apply them correctly in our work. The disaster is also a reminder that we must be cautious when undertaking any engineering project to avoid irreversible consequences.
The above content and materials are derived from the Internet, relevant data, theoretical research in the Internet materials, does not mean that the author of this article agrees with the laws, rules, opinions, behaviors in the article and is responsible for the authenticity of the relevant information. We are not responsible for any issues arising above or in connection with the above and the author of this article do not assume any direct or indirect legal liability.