This week marks the 23th anniversary of the worst offshore oil disaster in history.
The Piper Alpha was a North Sea oil production platform operated by Occidental Petroleum (Caledonia) Ltd. It accounted for around ten per cent of the oil and gas production from the North Sea at the time. The platform began production in 1976 first as an oil platform and then later converted to gas production. An explosion and resulting fire destroyed it on July 6, 1988, killing 167 men. Total insured loss was $ 3.4 billion. While the environmental damage was not as severe as the loss of the Deepwater Horizon, it remains world’s worst offshore oil disaster in terms of lives lost.
On 06 July 1988, work began on one of two condensate-injection pumps, designated A and B, which were used to compress gas on the platform prior to transport of the gas to Flotta. A pressure safety valve was removed from compressor A for recalibration and re-certification and two blind flanges were fitted onto the open pipework. The dayshift crew then finished for the day.
During the evening of 06 July, pump B tripped and the nightshift crew decided that pump A should be brought back into service. Once the pump was operational, gas condensate leaked from the two blind flanges and, at around 2200 hours, the gas ignited and exploded, causing fires and damage to other areas with the further release of gas and oil. Some twenty minutes later, the Tartan gas riser failed and a second major explosion occurred followed by widespread fire. Fifty minutes later, at around 2250 hours, the MCP-01 gas riser failed resulting in a third major explosion. Further explosions then ensued, followed by the eventual structural collapse of a significant proportion of the installation.
.
Piper Alpha Video
.
.
Piper Alpha Photos
The Piper Alpha, as seen from a crew change helicopter, before the fire started.
All that remains of the oil platform after the devastating fire burns out.
The fire in full blaze. Imagine the heat that was generated.
A simulation of the survivability of the Piper Alpha’s Lifeboats.
The Blaze lit the night sky for miles in every direction.
In a late afternoon verdict on Monday, Jerry Nehl Boylan, the captain of the Conception dive boat, was found guilty by a jury of one count of misconduct or neglect of ship...
AMSTERDAM, Aug 3 (Reuters) – The car carrier that caught fire last week off the coast of the Netherlands has arrived at the northern Dutch port of Eemshaven for salvage, officials there said on Thursday. One crew member died when the...
AMSTERDAM, July 31 (Reuters) – A burning car carrier off the Dutch coast has been towed to a new location away from shipping lanes as part of an operation to salvage the ship, the Dutch public works and water management ministry and...
July 31, 2023
Total Views: 4412
Let gCaptain be your compass for maritime news
The news that you need delivered every morning.
Sign Up Now for gCaptain Daily
We’ve got your daily industry news related to the global maritime and offshore industries.
OUT AT SEA?
We’ve got you covered with trusted maritime and offshore news from wherever you are.
OUT AT SEA?
We’ve got you covered with trusted maritime and offshore news from wherever you are.
JOIN OUR CREW
Maritime and offshore news trusted by our 96,963 members delivered daily straight to your inbox.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.