Mr. Charlie Oil Rig Museum

Visitors learn about the oil industry, past and present, the functions of the oil rig and
tales about the industry’s beginnings.

The Mr. Charlie Museum honors the pioneering offshore drilling rig that helped launch the modern offshore oil industry. Built in 1952 and beginning operations in 1954, Mr. Charlie was the first transportable, submersible offshore drilling rig and served as a springboard for current offshore rig technology.

Initially employed by Shell Oil Company to drill in East Bay near the mouth of the Mississippi River, the rig went on to drill hundreds of wells for nearly every major oil company operating in the Gulf of America, achieving a cumulative depth of over 2.5 million feet.

Measuring approximately 220 feet long and 74 feet wide, with pontoons extending to 136 feet, Mr. Charlie could accommodate a crew of 58 and operated as a nearly self-sufficient offshore platform. It generated its own electricity, supplied drinking water and food, disposed of waste, maintained communications, and carried firefighting and medical equipment, all while drilling wells in up to 40 feet of water.

Over its nearly four-decade career, Mr. Charlie revolutionized offshore drilling technology, influencing rigs worldwide.

Today, the Mr. Charlie Museum continues its legacy by educating visitors about the history, engineering, and global impact of offshore oil drilling.

Exhibits highlight the rig’s design, operations, and contributions to the Gulf of Mexico’s offshore industry, offering a unique glimpse into the technology and ingenuity that shaped a vital sector of the energy industry.

The museum stands as a tribute to Morgan City’s role as the birthplace of the offshore oil industry and to the historic rig that helped bring it to the world.

Mr. Charlie Oil Rig Museum