1980 Lake Peigneur Drilling Accident: Salt Mine Breach Drains Lake, Sinks Barges

A Texaco drilling crew accidentally punctured an active salt mine beneath Lake Peigneur in 1980, causing the lake to drain into the mine, swallowing 11 barges and briefly reversing a canal flow to the Gulf. The incident, settled for $32 million, led to the mine's closure years later. This historical event is being recirculated, with no new developments.