# I pit Offshore oil rig fires **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 7, 2004, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-offshore-oil-rig-fires/253935 "2004-07-07T12:39:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-offshore-oil-rig-fires/253935/1 "2004-07-07T12:39:32Z")
I was sleeping away about midnight:30 last night when a galley hand (someone who works in the kitchen) opens my door, turns on the light and says “fire in the engine room” and I thought to myself “self, this is one hell of a time for a fire drill” but the hallway filling with smoke led me to think that this was not a drill so I donned my life jacket and reported to my lifeboat, 45 minutes later the all clear was sounded and we all went back to bed (no injuries). Now the rig will be having a couple of few days of downtime while the rig crew repairs the engine and engine room. I should have listened to my father and been an accountant. Unclviny ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-offshore-oil-rig-fires/253935/2 "2004-07-07T12:47:27Z")
Why do they need an engine room? Are they going somewhere? ---
**Author:** ![Mac\_Guffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Mac\_Guffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mac_Guffin)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-offshore-oil-rig-fires/253935/3 "2004-07-07T13:13:29Z")
> [@NurseCarmen](#): > > Why do they need an engine room? Are they going somewhere? My guess would be the engines are for generators. Hard to string power lines all the way out to sea. ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-offshore-oil-rig-fires/253935/4 "2004-07-07T13:33:20Z")
Oil rigs are (mostly, I’m sure there are exceptions) Diesel-Electric like Locomotives, the engines turn generators and the Electricity is run all over the rig to run the various systems (but some systems are “self powered”, they have independent engines so they can be used during main engine troubles). Unclviny ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-offshore-oil-rig-fires/253935/5 "2004-07-07T13:43:42Z")
We’ll DOY! sorry ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-offshore-oil-rig-fires/253935/6 "2004-07-07T15:29:10Z")
As far as pit rants go, I can only give you a “3” or perhaps a “4”. Major points off for lack of cursing and drama. Positive points for actual danger. Where does one run to when a rig catches fire? I suspect your only choice is into the water or to a neighboring rig. I think some of those rusty mini islands, uh, rigs, are so very close together that you can actually walk a plank to get from one to another. Is that true? Can you visit the neighbors where you are? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-offshore-oil-rig-fires/253935/7 "2004-07-07T16:18:46Z")
**unclviny** , you da’ mud man? ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-offshore-oil-rig-fires/253935/8 "2004-07-07T17:35:03Z")
Ca3799, It’s into the lifeboats if everything goes wrong, just make sure you bring your car keys and your wallet (so you can get home or to a motel). Lieu, No he puts the mud together I take it apart (I used to be a “Formation Recovery Engineer” but I got promoted). Unclviny