MMR

Mcmoran Exploration Co.

An independent oil and gas explorer that hunted for natural gas in the Gulf of Mexico, drilling ultra-deep wells in surprisingly shallow water — its famous Davy Jones well sat in just 20 feet of water off Louisiana while reaching miles below the seafloor. Founded in 1969 in South Louisiana, the company's name comes from the surnames of its three founders: Ken McWilliams, Jim Bob Moffett, and Mack Rankin. Its 1981 merger with Freeport Minerals helped create the mining giant Freeport-McMoRan, which later bought the company outright in 2013.