Examples of stamps depicting offshore drilling and production:
(stamps not all shown to same scale)
Argentina's first petroleum stamp (1936-45) depicts
offshore drilling at Comodoro Rivadavia in the early
1900's . The exploration was conducted using an
onshore drilling rig mounted on a jetty built out
from shore, a standard technique of that era.
Early "offshore" drilling in Lake Maracaibo was depicted
on this 1938 stamp, part of a set that included
Venezuela's first petro-stamps.
The first petroleum stamps from West Germany
and Berlin (1975) depicted a semi-submersible
offshore drilling platform.
Offshore exploration and production facilities are shown on these 1969
stamps from Abu Dhabi (now
part of the United Arab Emirates. A four-legged jackup drilling rig is shown
on the left and a
night-view of the Zakum field separator platform is seen at right.
The four-legged jackup drilling rig "Amazone" was
shown on this 1983 stamp from Benin drilling the
discovery well in the offshore Seme oil field.
Another four-legged jackup rig, the "Roger Butin",
was shown on this engraved 1966 stamp. It was Gabon's
first petroleum-related issue.
Offshore oil platforms and drilling crews are shown on
these two 1973 stamps from the Peoples' Republic of the
Congo noting the Pointe Noire oil field.
This 1965 Egyptian stamp depicts the exploration
drill ship "Discoverer".
These 1966/70 stamps depict Atwood Oceanic's rig tender and offshore fixed
platform exploring
for oil in Ras al Khaima (United Arab Emirates) waters.
Four scenes of Norway's rugged North Sea offshore exploration and
production activities were depicted on this 1985 souvenir
sheet. The scenes include: workers at the Ekofisk Field production
platform, the semisubmersible drilling rig "Treasure Scout"
along with the supply ship "Odin Viking"; towing the Statfjord C
platform out to sea (June, 1984); and a crew on the drilling
floor of the "Neptune Nordraug" at Traenabanken.
Another view of the rigors of offshore exploration
in the stormy North Atlantic is provided on this
1991 Canadian stamp honoring search and
rescue organizations.
Oil derricks or platforms are commonly used as symbols of industrial
development, especially on stamps from countries with communist or
socialist governments. The 1992 example from Vietnam (left) shows
small offshore platforms at the upper right. The 1988 stamp on the
right shows more prominent recognition of the nation's offshore
exploration activities, in this case by VIETSOVPETRO.
© Peter A. Scholle, 2000
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