Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum – What You Need To Know BEFORE You Visit

The Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum in Galveston, Texas is an educational museum dedicated to providing a behind–the–scenes look into the highly technical process of extracting oil and gas from the sea. Visitors of the museum can gain an understanding of the amazing feats of engineering and technology that have allowed us to take the industry out to sea.

The museum features a Hall of Fame, which recognizes and honors the individuals and technologies that have made the offshore oil and gas industry possible. Among the inductees to the Hall of Fame are George and Herman Brown, Ralph Thomas McDermott, Alden J. “Doc“ Laborde, George H. W. Bush, and Dean McGee.

The Pipe Deck houses large exhibits and equipment such as a blowout preventer, drill pipe, and a cementing unit. Visitors can gain a hands–on understanding of how the equipment works and what it takes to drill a hole in the sea floor.

The Drill Floor is located beneath the derrick and is where the actual work of drilling the hole takes place.

Here, visitors can explore the complex machinery used to drill the hole and gain a better understanding of the work that goes into offshore drilling. The Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum provides a unique and enlightening experience for those interested in learning about the offshore oil and gas industry.

Through its exhibits and interactive displays, the museum offers visitors a chance to gain an in–depth understanding of the science and engineering behind the industry.

Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum History

The Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum is a unique look into the history of deep–water drilling.

Built in 1969 by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, the Ocean Star was one of many rigs that drilled for oil in the Gulf of Mexico throughout the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast. During its active life, the rig drilled an estimated 200 wells.

In 1995, the Offshore Energy Center (OEC) was formed to preserve the Ocean Star as a museum to educate visitors on the history of offshore drilling. To accomplish this, the OEC relied on private donations, admission fees, and corporate donations.

It took two years to convert the rig into a museum and on April 27, 1997, the Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum opened to the public.

In 2018, the OEC changed its name to the Oilfield Energy Center in order to broaden its scope of education to include not just offshore drilling, but also onshore drilling processes.

The Oilfield Energy Center is proud to offer educational programs such as the Offshore Technology Conference, the Oilfield Energy Education Program, and the Oilfield Energy Leadership Academy.

Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum Information

Address

Address: 2002 Wharf Rd, Galveston, TX 77550, United States

Opening Hours

Contact

Phone: +1 409-766-7827