Interviewer(s): D. Austin. Pierre Part, LA

Affiliation: University of Arizona

I was introduced to Blackie Pipsair by Laurie Vining. When I asked Laurie if he knew of anyone who had pictures of early offshore vessels, he told me about Blackie. He called Blackie and arranged for the two of us to drive up to visit him at his home in Pierre Part. We spent several hours talking about the oilfield and looking at pictures.

Chester "Blackie" Pipsair worked for Transworld Drilling Company, a subsidiary of Kerr McGee, for 31 years until his retirement in 1991. He began as a crane operator and worked his way up to Marine Superintendent. He was responsible for moving rigs from one location to another. Though Blackie worked most of his career in the Gulf of Mexico, at least once a year he traveled overseas to deliver rigs. He found his work interesting and challenging because each job presented a new set of circumstances and problems to be overcome.