❞ Abdon Callais Offshore built over 64+ vessels and operated a fleet of 50+ Offshore Supply Vessels ❞
The first freestanding offshore well struck oil on November 14, 1947, 10 miles off the coast of southern Louisiana. This event marked the beginnings of the modern offshore drilling market in the Gulf of Mexico. From the 1940’s, Cajun fisherman of Lafourche and Terrebonne Parish (County) were enlisted by oil companies to ferry employees and supplies to offshore oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. These local fishermen bought larger and larger vessels as the industry moved deeper offshore to birth the offshore supply vessel industry as it is known today.
Abdon Callais Offshore was founded in 1953 by Abdon Callais who was a shrimp boat operator who became one of the earliest pioneers in the marine transportation business for the oil and gas sector in the US. As of 2013, Abdon Callais Offshore built over 64+ vessels and operated a fleet of 50+ Offshore Supply Vessels. These vessels were 150” to 220” in length and the firm had approximately 450 employees prior to the asset sale in 2013 for over $512m. Abdon Callais Offshore was listed on the Inc500 fastest-growing private companies in the US for over 5 years. Today, ACO exists as a real estate investment firm for the greater Callais family with direct real estate holdings across northern and southern Louisiana.