The Delicate Balance... Energy & Ecology (1971)

Duration: 28:00:00

Year Published: 1971

Sound: sound

Description: This 1970s industrial film considers the “delicate balance” between energy production and ecological conservation. Narrator David Naugle pays particular attention to the impact of offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, from the danger of oil fires to cooperation with commercial fishing. A large portion of the film focuses on the industry’s response to the Bay Marchard fire. On December 1, 1970, a Shell Oil Company platform serving 22 wells off the coast of Louisiana burst into flames. The explosion killed four people. A helicopter pilot later died on a firefighting mission. The fire raged until April 13, 1971. Shell officials estimated the cost of the disaster at more than $43 million. While the film was not produced by or for a specific energy company, it nevertheless approaches environmental concerns about oil production from the industry perspective. Robert Yarnall Richie, who produced and directed this film, was a freelance industrial photographer and filmmaker who worked with various large corporations in Texas and around the globe.