BP Offshore Oil Strike, the Board Game

In 1970, BP collaborated with boardgame maker PrintBox of Scotland to come up with a game that is eerily prescient of the Gulf incident. The game BP Offshore Oil Strike didn't catch on, and thus became somewhat of a collector's item. BLDGBLOG got its hands on one:

With this "exciting board game for all the family," released in 1970, BP delivered all "the thrills of drilling, the hazards and rewards as you bring in your own..." Bring in your own "Offshore Petro-Dollars," that is.

The game's internal monetary supply comes in denominations of $200,000, $500,000, $1,000,000, $2,000,000, $10,000,000, and $20,000,000—which is good because you need to earn a lot of it: "The 1st player to make $120,000,000 cash is regarded as the winner."

After all, it's "a race to find and develop the riches 'neath the seabed," where no deepwater is beyond the horizon of possible drilling.

Accumulating this fortune, however, is not without its difficulties. Each player has "Hazard" cards to deal with; here are some of the risks BP thought to include:
—"Accident. Rig shuts down while replacement of key personnel takes place. Miss one turn."
—"Fire breaks out. Pay $2,500,000 for repairs."
—"Hit High-Pressure Gas—Rig Damaged. Specialists called in."
—"Blow-Out! Rig Damaged. Repairs cost $2,000,000"
—"Drill pipe breaks. Pay $500,000 for replacement."
—"Strike High Pressure Gas. Platform Destroyed."
—"Blow-Out! Rig Damaged. Oil Slick Clean-Up costs. Pay $1,000,000."

Lots more pic at BLDGBLOG: Link


That was recently featured on Neatorama. I remember because I wrote a "hilarious" comment on that post.

http://www.neatorama.com/2010/07/06/bps-completely-real-oil-drilling-board-game/
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
Login to comment.
Click here to access all of this post's 2 comments




Email This Post to a Friend
"BP Offshore Oil Strike, the Board Game"

Separate multiple emails with a comma. Limit 5.

 

Success! Your email has been sent!

close window
X

This website uses cookies.

This website uses cookies to improve user experience. By using this website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

I agree
 
Learn More