Article about 2 alleged UFO pictures taken off the coast of Mexico by an oil rig worker

[SuppaCoup]

Per The Daily Mail: "Oil rigger spots UFOs 'hovering for 10 minutes' above the deck before 'zooming off in an instant' on the Mexican coast where locals believe is a submerged alien base"

(Is it just me or is this a very clunky article title??

A pair of UFOs were spotted soaring over an oil rig off the coast of Mexico where locals have claimed is home to a secret underwater alien base. A crew member of the vessel near Tampico snapped two images - one showing a saucer-shaped craft with glowing lights circling the base and the other with a triangular design and three lights on the bottom.

The witness said the UAPs 'hovered for what seemed like 10 minutes and then 'just zoomed off in an instant,' a source told DailyMail.om. Locals of Tampico believe the underwater extraterrestrial base has been protecting them from hurricanes for more than 50 years.

The images were captured on October 2023, but have just now been released online. DailyMail.com spoke with oil rigger 'Pat' who obtained the pictures and information of the sighting from a fellow colleague on another rig who was stationed in Tampico months before he arrived.

'My contact said the UAPs showed up as they were putting the oil rigs legs to the seabed,' said Pat.

When Pat arrived in Tampico, he discovered the locals' belief about an underwater alien base called Amupac, claiming the otherworldly beings are their protectors.

'My rig only came here recently,' he said. 'It was after I discovered the local belief being so strong as regards aliens protecting them that I discussed with a guy who works as a liaison between our two rigs.

'Then he told me about the encounters. He then sent me the images.'

This is the more traditional alleged UFO pic:

There's also a zoomed in version of this pic which is....crunchy

and here's the second image of an alleged triangular craft:



Part of the article implies this 3 light "craft" is the legendary US black project aircraft Aurora, citing a....twitter user:

An X user, covertress , told DailyMail.com that a member of the intelligence community told her that the triangular craft was the 'Aurora' craft rumored to have been developed by the US government in the mid-1980s. The SR 91 Aurora, an ultra top-secret aircraft that has been in development since 1989, was believed to be the successor to the Mach 3.35 Lockheed Martin SR-71 Blackbird craft that was retired in 1998.

By comparison, extreme reports claim that Aurora could reach Mach 11.8. However, there is no evidence the military plane was ever built or flown - suggesting the image captured above the oil rig could not be the top-secret warplane.

A few things jump out about this to me right away-Despite these craft allegedly hanging around for some time, possibly over 10 minutes there's only 2 pictures, of very low quality, in the age of ubiquitous and easy to use cell phone cameras. Why not film them? Both images are also blocked somewhat oddly-why are they zoomed so far back given that most modern cell phone or digital cameras have reasonably effective zooming capability?
My take is these are fakes, most likely part of a hazing goof gone too far on a new guy on the job. Very easy to toss some simple UFO images onto a pic with image editing software and then convert the image a few times between file types to turn it into a blurry mess. Also I'm not sure what's going on with the lower part of the triangle image with those edited areas filled with that triangle pattern, but it certainly doesn't give me confidence in the veracity of this account.

 

[john.phil]

This looks like the typical "light in the room" or "ceiling light" reflection on a window pane, instead of CGI or edited in. There are slightly bigger pictures available:


https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/dad37576-b681-48d6-9e2d-eec7d701d47e_f1ccae.jpg


https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/cd900dc7-7dc3-4737-a9d5-3535b340c29f.jpg

If gamma is enhanced a little bit, it's possible to notice bright smudges close to the corners of the pictures, either from the lens, or the window:

 

[Scaramanga]

I'm more interested in....what is the function/purpose of those coloured triangles ? Are they just some arty thing or do they serve a purpose ?

 

[JMartJr]

Also I'm not sure what's going on with the lower part of the triangle image with those edited areas filled with that triangle pattern, but it certainly doesn't give me confidence in the veracity of this account.

Indeed odd. Might they be covering something proprietary? Or something that identifies which rig this is, and thus narrows down the list of pranksters (assuming of course that a prank is behind it all, which is not established.)

Anybody know what the TBR(8 or 6,S,5?)01 sign is about? If it is specific to a particular rig, that would rule out the weird triangle pattern helping hide the identity of the platform... as you'd expect it to be covered as well were that the case.

 

[JMartJr]

I'm more interested in....what is the function/purpose of those coloured triangles ? Are they just some arty thing or do they serve a purpose ?

They don't appear to be "real world" decoration, as they do not seem to show any signs of perspective though they are "on" walls set at different angles to the camera.

(I just now noticed there are a few of them in the "disc" ufo image as well...)

 

[deirdre]

(Is it just me or is this a very clunky article title??

the whole article is clunky. It reads like it was translated from a different language, and edited by an intern.

(although your title isnt all that great either )

 

[Scaramanga]

They don't appear to be "real world" decoration, as they do not seem to show any signs of perspective though they are "on" walls set at different angles to the camera.

(I just now noticed there are a few of them in the "disc" ufo image as well...)

They are even on the side of what appear to be rubbish skips in one of the pics. Presumably covering up that the skips belong to a specific oil rig.

 

[john.phil]

I'm more interested in....what is the function/purpose of those coloured triangles ? Are they just some arty thing or do they serve a purpose ?

They are there for covering up any information that would associate the employee with the company, or with a specific oil rig.

 

[MapperGuy]

A quick internet search found articles talking about the concept of an alien underwater base in the area. Dating back to a 1967 saucer sighting. So the area does have its UFO believers/fans.
This is good and bad. Its good in that it shows the author is not making stuff about UFO interest in the area up out of thin air. Its bad in that the presence of people making money off of UFO fans could be an incentive for someone to build their own fake and fly it where it can be observed.
Hopefully more information will be forthcoming from both those who made the video and locals who can flesh out the "UFO scene" in the area.

 

[deirdre]

from both those who made the video

where did you see there was a video?

 

[SuppaCoup]

This looks like the typical "light in the room" or "ceiling light" reflection on a window pane, instead of CGI or edited in. There are slightly bigger pictures available:


https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/dad37576-b681-48d6-9e2d-eec7d701d47e_f1ccae.jpg


https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/cd900dc7-7dc3-4737-a9d5-3535b340c29f.jpg

If gamma is enhanced a little bit, it's possible to notice bright smudges close to the corners of the pictures, either from the lens, or the window:

That does seem very plausible. I wonder if we could touch base with someone at one of these rigs and recreate the exact effect with a bit of evening trial and error lightswitch flipping?

 

[deirdre]

at one of these rigs

it's the same rig.

 

[jdog]

If you look for night photos of oil rigs and high-mast lighting you get some oddly similar light shapes:



Also, the Daily Mail says it talked to a guy named "Pat" who who said he got them from a guy at another rig who shot them months earlier. (So the guy talking to the Daily Mail isn't even telling his own story.) But the photos are credited to Twitter user covertress, a woman who is a self-described "UFO & NDE experiencer," who says on Twitter she got them from "A friend of mine works on an oil rig offshore of █████, Mexico" and who admits she "removed any names that could identify the rig."

So what's on offer here is a second-hand story and images that were admittedly edited and supposedly shot by an unidentified person at an unidentified location at an specified time.

 

[SuppaCoup]

it's the same rig.

I'm sorry I phrased that poorly, I assume that this rig is part of a series of rigs based off of the same overall design, I meant perhaps we could contact someone on either the exact rig of the sighting or one that has a nearly identical layout about whether they cna see how this could be from a light reflection.

 

[Scaramanga]

It's been put forward that the 'UFO' is simply a reflection of lights in the ceiling through a window. However...something about the geometry of that doesn't quite add up. The wall of the deck structure seen outside is higher than the camera and even at a rough guess I'd say is 10 to 12 feet high. If the photo is taken indoors then I'd expect a ceiling certainly not more than that. Hard to put my finger precisely on it...but the 'UFO' doesn't 'look' as though its on a ceiling the same or similar height to the structure outside.....might have to do a drawing to show this, though someone who already has the tools for this is welcome to interject....

 

[JMartJr]

it...but the 'UFO' doesn't 'look' as though its on a ceiling the same or similar height to the structure outside.....

But IF this is a hoax with pictures of reflections in the window, the hoaxers could crouch down or move around the room to place the reflection where they wanted it:

 

[Scaramanga]

But IF this is a hoax with pictures of reflections in the window, the hoaxers could crouch down or move around the room to place the reflection where they wanted it:

You can see from the photo with the skips that the camera height is basically just above the level of the skips...which is about camera height for someone 5 to 6 feet tall. The same photo indicates that the white walled structure probably is 10 to 12 feet tall. Trying to mentally imagine the ceiling that the light is on...it just doesn't seem right if it is in the room the photographer is in and he is right up against the window. If I go to my window and try to photograph the light that is ( then ) 15 feet behind me, the light is actually just a few degrees above the 'horizon'. Which, of course, is exactly how it appears turning back into the room and looking directly at it.

 

[deirdre]

The wall of the deck structure seen outside is higher than the camera and even at a rough guess I'd say is 10 to 12 feet high. If the photo is taken indoors then I'd expect a ceiling certainly not more than that. Hard to put my finger precisely on it...but the 'UFO' doesn't 'look' as though its on a ceiling the same or similar height to the structure outside.....

to me one clue is that both ufos are at the top of the photos vs. centered in the photos.

i think it would depend on how far away you were when you took the photo. ? ex if there was a recess light on this ceiling (vs the chandelier) the ufo would be well above the tall house across the street.


another clue to me is that the garbage bins are more or less straight on. which again, is a weird angle to take a photo of a ufo in the air. and to me indicates the pic taken from a distance away.







or..it could be something dangling from the crane i guess. but i think the reflection works ok. ?

 

[Scaramanga]

another clue to me is that the garbage bins are more or less straight on. which again, is a weird angle to take a photo of a ufo in the air. and to me indicates the pic taken from a distance away.

Others have noted the bright patches at top right and left...glare off something. I'd like to also point out another 'object' ( circled ). The 'tail' leading away from it suggests multiple reflections.

 

[John J.]

Anybody know what the TBR(8 or 6,S,5?)01 sign is about? If it is specific to a particular rig, that would rule out the weird triangle pattern helping hide the identity of the platform

I was hoping the numbers might be usable identifiers too.
Unfortunately there are other numbers on the other orange structures in the picture.

 

[JMartJr]

was hoping the numbers might be usable identifiers too.
Unfortunately there are other numbers on the other orange structures in the picture.

Still MIGHT be helpful, as in "Oh, yeah, the TBR8O1, not many rigs have that any more, especially in that area of the ocean!"

One can hope.

 

[deirdre]

Still MIGHT be helpful, as in "Oh, yeah, the TBR8O1, not many rigs have that any more, especially in that area of the ocean!"

One can hope.

lots of TBR+number in this document... could they be patent numbers? i cant read spanish.

TBR603/19 Quanto à objeção referente à ausência de suficiência descritiva (artigo 24 da LPI) e de clareza e precisão (artigo 25 da LPI) decorrente da definição do promotor como sendo um promotor regulado no desenvolvimento, específico de organela, específico de tecido, constitutivo ou específico de célula, ou o referido promotor é selecionado do grupo consistindo em 35S CaMV, 34S FMV, Napin, 7S alfa, 7S alfa, Glob e Lec, a recorrente esclareceu que as reivindicações 3 e 4 são reivindicações dependentes que, de acordo com o disposto no item 3.3 da Resolução/INPI/Nº124/2013, devem incluir características adicionais que não são consideradas características essenciais da invenção. Neste sentido, a recorrente alegou que as características essenciais da invenção estão suficientemente descritas no pedido e encontramse clara e precisamente definidas na reivindicação independente 1. Em relação à definição do promotor, concorda-se com a argumentação da recorrente de que o promotor utilizado no vetor de expressão é característica adicional não essencial da invenção e, portanto, pode ser definido pelo nome usual na técnica, uma vez que trata-se de promotores já conhecidos do estado da técnica. Ressalta-se que as características essenciais da invenção, quais sejam as 6 dessaturases de Primula juliae, encontram-se clara e precisamente definidas na reivindicação independente 1 por meio de suas Seq ID específicas Seq ID nº 2 e

3.TBR589/19 Reivindicação pleiteia: Processo de produção da violaceína e d


https://www.gov.br/inpi/pt-br/servi...de-segunda-instancia-em-patentes-volume-3.pdf

Content from External Source

 

[JMartJr]

i cant read Spanish

I THINK that's Portuguese... but I can't read that either... Google translation produces something I can't follow...

 

[deirdre]

Google translation produces something I can't follow...

i couldnt even get a translation service to work on it.

i should have looked that up.. oops

What language do Rio de Janeiro speak?
Portuguese is the first language of the vast majority of Brazilians, but numerous foreign words have expanded the national lexicon.

Content from External Source

 

[john.phil]

lots of TBR+number in this document... could they be patent numbers? i cant read spanish.

It's Brazilian Portuguese and the document refers to official decisions on patent grants after the appeals. TBR+number is the patent reference in the proceedings.

The TBR+number in the oil rig is usually a reference to the module. It only makes sense with either the piping and instrumentation diagram, or the general arrangement of the platform, or the Naval Architecture documents showing tank tag names/numbers and their capacities. It's possible it's Spanish abbreviation: "Tanque", literary "tank". But BR escapes me, maybe "Barita", "Barite"? R for "Retorno", "return"? "Tanque de Barita de Retorno" (Tank for Barite Return - works in English), but I'd expect it to be named "Tanque de Retorno de la Barita" - TRB, instead. TuBeRia", "piping" also comes to mind. Either way, it's not a reference to the platform.

EDIT: see solution below, as it turned out those are removable items in the laydown area -> TBR = Tall Bottle Rack.

 

[deirdre]

Either way, it's not a reference to the platform.

she covered the "this is a garbage bin" signage, so yea i'd imagine if it referenced the platform (which i assume means the oil rig) she would have put her little triangle quilt over those labels.

 

[John J.]

Re. the orange TBR601 etc. thingies:
I stripped away the surrounding clutter (and the pretty triangle nonsense)
and image searched, and struck gold (well, orange. Sort of).



The image linked to the Korean Alibaba site
https://korean.alibaba.com/product-...e-Offshore-Platform-TPED-Gas-60215752396.html,
although the image on that webpage is this rather different item, which is for storing pressurised gas cylinders.

Another image from Korean Alibaba, and from the same manufacturer: Shanghai Eternal Faith Industry Co., Ltd. (SEFIC)



The "TBR" numbers are different for apparently identical units, so they're not a number for that product; they appear to be individual serial numbers.

This image


...was also returned. The accompanying text described them as "Offshore Container Dnv Rack Hydrogen Cylinder Rack".
From Chinese Alibaba,
https://www.alibaba.com/product-det...r-DNV-Rack-Hydrogen-Cylinder_60085240149.html

Had no idea what Dnv or DNV might mean, luckily found it on Wikipedia,
article, "DNV" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNV:

DNV (formerly DNV GL) is an international accredited registrar and classification society headquartered in Høvik, Norway.

Content from External Source

DNV — Maritime: DNV sets standards for ships and offshore structures, known as Class Rules. DNV is authorized by 130 maritime administrations to perform verification on their behalf.

Content from External Source

-So they're containers for pressurised gas cylinders, perhaps made to DNV standards or complying with DNV governance in some other way.

Many visually similar "storage solutions" for offshore use can be found from different companies, also waste compactors and drill waste storage units; "Offshore Slurry Container" below left, "Drill Cuttings Container" below right, both by Russian company Belfreight http://www.белфрахт.рф/eng/shelf/id_195/

Note these have "BMS" numbers on them in a similar style to the "TBR" numbers on our orange thingies.
Don't know if this is coincidence or perhaps some standard/ governance practice (maybe connected to DNV?)


I'm fairly confident we're looking at the Chinese SEFIC product or a close relative, though. I've only seen "TBR" numbers on those units (though I haven't done a deep search).

All we need to do is contact the Shanghai Eternal Faith Industry Co., Ltd., and ask where they sent TBR601!

 

[john.phil]

she covered the "this is a garbage bin" signage, so yea i'd imagine if it referenced the platform (which i assume means the oil rig) she would have put her little triangle quilt over those labels.

The lettering on the skip identifies the company that owns the skip, not necessarily the oil rig. Full skips are offloaded and empty skips are loaded back. I don't believe she would know what to cover, unless it was obvious or she was told what to cover.


Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWE-he6I2D8

 

[john.phil]

So they're containers for pressurised gas cylinders, perhaps made to DNV standards or complying with DNV governance in some other way.

It means they are designed and tested in accordance with DNV 2.7-1 Offshore Containers, for which they received a certificate of conformity.

TBR means Tall Bottle Rack.


https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/C...t=4wyFQjnVfwcYglNpRBaujNa3T34Gonqynn-35arvP30


https://www.oegoffshore.com/files/Brochures/Global-Offshore-CCU-Fleet-Sheet.pdf

 

[deirdre]

Note these have "BMR" numbers on them in a similar style to the "TBR" numbers on our orange thingies.
Don't know if this is coincidence or perhaps some standard/ governance practice (maybe connected to DNV?)

they probably need to keep track of them and what's in them. like vaccine vials all have different numbers.

 

[deirdre]

The lettering on the skip identifies the company that owns the skip, not necessarily the oil rig.

i know i posted a pic of them with letters above, but hers might have have had a not Mexico oil company label on them.

 

[Ann K]

Translation from the Portuguese (google translate):

TBR603/19 Regarding the objection regarding the lack of descriptive sufficiency (article 24 of the LPI) and clarity and precision (article 25 of the LPI) arising from the definition of the promoter as being a developmentally regulated, organelle-specific, tissue-specific promoter, constitutive or cell-specific, or said promoter is selected from the group consisting of 35S CaMV, 34S FMV, Napin, 7S alpha, 7S alpha, Glob and Lec, the appellant clarified that claims 3 and 4 are dependent claims which, in accordance with the provisions of item 3.3 of Resolution/INPI/Nº124/2013, they must include additional characteristics that are not considered essential characteristics of the invention. In this sense, the appellant claimed that the essential characteristics of the invention are sufficiently described in the application and are clearly and precisely defined in independent claim 1. Regarding the definition of the promoter, we agree with the appellant's argument that the promoter used in the expression vector is an additional characteristic non-essential of the invention and, therefore, can be defined by the usual name in the art, since these are promoters already known in the state of the art. It should be noted that the essential characteristics of the invention, namely the 6 desaturases of Primula juliae, are clearly and precisely defined in independent claim 1 through its specific Seq ID Seq ID nº 2 and

3.TBR589/19 Claim sought: Violacein and d production process

Content from External Source

This looks to be the type of obscure language beloved of patent attorneys around the world, and I'll be darned if I can translate it into simple English.

lots of TBR+number in this document... could they be patent numbers? i cant read spanish.

Nope, it's Portuguese.

 

[deirdre]

All we need to do is contact the Shanghai Eternal Faith Industry Co., Ltd., and ask where they sent TBR601!

i found this company which i only found a 2012 bid document, but does supply sevices to the mexico ish region

https://cargoweld.com/en/producto/gas-bottle-racks-2/


and their current skips are a different color but same style

 

[deirdre]

looking at Wayback Machine. Cargoweld's stuff was blue in 2021. (so at least makes the location of the claim a possibility)

 

[John J.]

With the orange containers, I was hoping that we could narrow it down to a specific company (I thought China's SEFIC).
But @john.phil has explained that the TBR number plates (Tall Bottle Racks) are part of DNV's standards:

DNV sets standards for ships and offshore structures, known as Class Rules. DNV is authorized by 130 maritime administrations to perform verification on their behalf.

Content from External Source

(I'm guessing "maritime administrations" equates to countries, but I could be wrong)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNV

If the TBR units are individually numbered, as seems the case, @deirdre's suggestion that it is part of governance, e.g. to allow regulators (DNV) to know where a unit came from (a bit like some medicines) seems likely correct.

Our problem now is these units are probably pretty generic, maybe made by several manufacturers.

I've just sent this e-mail to DNV, specifically Margrethe Andersen, Head of External Communications, Maritime, and I copied in
Shannon Cranson, Regional Communications Manager – Americas:

Margrethe Andersen
Head of External Communications, Maritime
DNV

Copied in:
Shannon Cranson
Regional Communications Manager – Americas
DNV

Dear Margrethe,

I apologise for writing in English, regrettably I can't speak Norwegian.
I have a rather unusual request- I'm hoping you might be able to help.

The website for UK newspaper "Daily Mail" had a report (20/03/2024, by Stacy Liberatore) about an oil rig worker photographing two "Unidentified Flying Objects" from a rig, said to be off the coast of Tampico, Mexico in October 2023. The identity of the rig was not given.
Link to Daily Mail story here, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/science...sighting-oil-rig-mexico-coast-alien-base.html

A copy of one photo (downsized) is attached.

Orange TBRs (Tall Bottle Racks) for storing gas cylinders are visible, but patches of coloured triangles have been added by computer, maybe to hide identifying text or company logos.

I think that the black and white "TBR (number)" plates on the orange bottle racks mean that those units comply with DNV standards (perhaps DNV 2.7-1 Offshore Containers).

One bottle rack in the photo has a reasonably clear number plate, "TBR601".

On the online forum "Metabunk", people discuss unusual claims and try to find likely, realistic explanations
(forum here, https://www.metabunk.org/home/;
discussion of the claimed Tampico photos here https://www.metabunk.org/threads/ar...mexico-by-an-oil-rig-worker.13396/post-312901).

Would you, or any of your colleagues at DNV, be able to give us any information (e.g. the user or location) about TBR601, October 2023?

It might help us at Metabunk to find out, for example, if the photos were taken when and where it is claimed that they were taken.

I appreciate that this request is not what you might expect as part of your work!
And I understand that DNV might not have this information, or might not be able to share it due to corporate or client confidentiality.

However, if you are able to help in any way, the Metabunk community and myself would be very grateful.

-If you are unable to help, I hope that this unusual request has at least made you smile!

Regards, and all best wishes for the future, John

Content from External Source

(Apparently Norwegians don't often use the titles Herr/ Fru/ Fröken routinely in the way English speakers use Mr/ Mrs/ Miss).

I guess we have a greater-than-zero chance of a response!

 

[deirdre]

I've just sent this e-mail to DNV,

maybe try "OEG Offshore Brazil". they seem to be the manufacturers (well the parent company OEG..but the brazil deviision likely has the info if the rig is indeed in the gulf area down there) of the one s in our pics. (They have a fb page). one post showed off some long containers they just built and said they were off "for rental"...so possibly the numbers are to keep track of rental property? (as well as allowing the purchaser to tick off the numbers on their clipboards... like you probably want to tell the crane operator "load numbers TBR624 and SOV7881 into the barge tomorrow".

 

[deirdre]

@John J.

ps. IF the story that the rig was putting down its jackup legs dec 2023... i'm sure the mexican media or oversight governmental agency has info on who did it. i read one story about pemex contract bids (july 2023) but got too confused because they sort of lease to italian companies and a bunch of other confusing stuff.

you might have a better attention span to eek it out

 

[deirdre]

ok the only platform ive seen so far in the non-american gulf of mexico (this is rio dejaniero) with a spiral staircase on the crane turret..i know off topic but how the hell is this thing standing up!!!

and what kind of name is "Nobel Tom Prosser" for a platform. This topic is too weird.

 

[john.phil]

how the hell is this thing standing up!!!

It's shallow waters (<120m). The spudcans at the base of the tripod legs sink into the silky seabed until they find firm ground (as determined through geological survey during the planning phase), then the platform raises itself up (jacks itself up) to create the required air gap for clearing the incoming waves.

Nobel Tom Prosser

Noble is the name of the owner/operator, Tom Prosser is the name of the platform.

 

[John J.]

maybe try "OEG Offshore Brazil". they seem to be the manufacturers

ps. IF the story that the rig was putting down its jackup legs dec 2023... i'm sure the mexican media or oversight governmental agency has info on who did it

All good leads @deirdre, hopefully others will have a look too!

and what kind of name is "Nobel Tom Prosser" for a platform.

I think he got the Nobel literature prize for inventing spoonerisms, shortly after being thrown out of a high school dance for unacceptable behaviour. Could be mistaken though.