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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USNS Glomar Explorer (T-AG-193)

Miscellaneous Auxiliary:

Laid down, date unknown, at Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock, Chester, PA. as GSF Hughes Glomar Explorer

Launched, 1 November 1972

Delivered to Summa Corp. for delivery to the US Navy, 1 July 1973

Placed in service as USNS Glomar Explorer (T-AG-193) on the same date

Placed out of service, date unknown

Transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) 17 January 1977, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benicia, CA.

Withdrawn from reserve and returned to the US Navy, 1 June 1978

Returned to MARAD for lay up. 25 April 1980, in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benicia, CA.

Struck from the Naval Register, 19 November 2007

Transferred to MARAD, 17 January 1977, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benicia , CA.

Withdrawn from reserve, custody transferred to US Navy, 1 June 1979, to be leased to Global Marine Development Inc. for commercial use. Intended to be used for experimental deep-ocean mining tests up to 17,000 feet.

In 1979 it was proposed that the ship be transferred to the National Science Foundation for use as an experimental drilling ship- this proposal was never funded and never occurred.

Lease terminated, 25 April 1980, returned to US Navy custody and transferred to MARAD for lay up in National Defense Reserve Fleet Suisun Bay. Benicia. CA. the same day.

Leased to Global Marine in August 1996 for commercial use under 30-year lease terms

Withdrawn from Suisun Bay, 5 November 1996, and converted to a deep-drilling ship, completed in Jan 1998

Global Marine merged with Santa Fe International, Inc in 2001 to become GlobalSantaFe Corporation, which operated the ship as GSF Explorer

GlobalSantaFe merged with Transocean Inc in Nov 2007.

Ship operated as a 7800 foot (water depth) exploratory drillship for drilling up to 30,000 feet, contracted out by various oil companies- currently named MV Global Explorer

Specifications:
Displacement 50,500 lt.
Length 619'
Beam 116'
Draft 46' (max)
Speed 10 kts.
Propulsion Diesel-electric

five Nordberg 16-cylinder, 4,160 volt AC generators turning six 2,200 HPO DC shaft motors

twin shafts

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
	43k	Diagram of unmodified GSF Hughes Glomar Explorer. From "A Matter of Risk" by Roy Varner and Wayne Collier.	Tommy Trampp
094919315	176k	USNS Glomar Explorer (T-AG-193) Logo for CIA Project Jennifer Recovery of Soviet Submainre	Wolfgang Hechler
	58k	*USNS Glomar Explorer* (T-AG-193)** underway, date and location unknown.	Gunter Krebs
094919313	50k	Launch of GSF Hughes Glomar Explorer, 1 November 1972 at Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock, Chester, PA. CIA photo from Wikipedia Commons	Robert Hurst
	93k	The deep water research vessel GFS Hughes Glomar Explorer owned by the organization of the industrialist Howard Hughes and leased to the CIA found and raised part of a soviet nuclear submarine in March 1978. The submarine reportedly exploded and sank in the Pacific Ocean in 1968. UPI file photo.	Tommy Trampp
	34k	*USNS Glomar Explorer* (T-AG-193)** underway, date and location unknown. US Government photo.	Robert Hurst
094919314	133k	*USNS Glomar Explorer* (T-AG-193) moored pierside at Long Beach, CA., 13 June 1976. In 1974 the ship had tried to recover the lost Soviet submarine K-219*, which had sank in the Pacific Ocean in 1968. Photo taken by Ted Quackenbush*	Robert Hurst
094919316	126k	Ex-*USNS Glomar Explorer* (T-AG-193)** laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, CA., circa 1977. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # NH 86340, courtesy Alfred Cellier, 1978.	Robert Hurst
	334k	Ex-*USNS Glomar Explorer* (T-AG-193)** anchor in the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet, 15 May 1977. Photos from the collection at the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum.	Darryl Baker
	277k		Darryl Baker
	570k	Ex-*USNS Glomar Explorer* (T-AG-193)** "drill rig", 15 May 1977, National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benicia,CA. Photos from the files at the collections of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum File name: AG 193 May 15 1977 05 TH	Darryl Baker
	302k	Ex-USNS Glomar Explorer (T-AG-193) Computer Room, 15 May 1977, National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benicia,CA. Photos from the files at the collections of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum File name: AG 193 May 15 1977 07 TH	Darryl Baker
	373k	Ex-*USNS Glomar Explorer* (T-AG-193)** "Moon Pool", 15 May 1977, National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benicia,CA. Photos from the files at the collections of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum File name: AG 193 May 15 1977 08 TH	Darryl Baker
	289k	Ex-*USNS Glomar Explorer* (T-AG-193)** bridge, 15 May 1977, National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benicia,CA. Photos from the files at the collections of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum File name: AG 193 May 15 1977 09 TH	Darryl Baker
094919317	4160k	Ex-*USNS Glomar Explorer* (T-AG-193)**, June 1980, laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benicia,CA.	Darryl Baker	Photo by CAPT. Mark Heilenday, USN Ret.
	335k	Ex-*USNS Glomar Explorer* (T-AG-193)** moored in the National Defense Reserve Fleet site at Suisun Bay, Benicia, CA., circa 29 July 1985.	©Richard Leonhardt
	31k	Ex-*USNS Glomar Explorer* (T-AG-193)** renamed MV Global Explorer at an Oregon shipyard being modified for Global Marine. With her pipe string handling equipment, docking legs and moon pool doors gone she rides much higher in the water. Note her bow thrusters are clearly visible in this picture, date unknown.	Tommy Trampp