Piper oilfield
Piper Alpha/Location
How many people died on the Piper Alpha oil rig?
167 people
The 1988 Piper Alpha disaster killed 167 people, making it the world’s deadliest oil rig accident in history. Situated just off the coast of Aberdeen, a city famous for its oil rigs and production, the oil platform exploded on July 6 1988.
How many bodies were recovered from the Ocean Ranger?
22 men
It became Canada’s worst tragedy at sea since the Second World War. The bodies of 22 men were eventually recovered, some floating in life jackets in the icy North Atlantic waters and others in smashed lifeboats.
Is there anything left of Piper Alpha?
The remains of Piper Alpha were toppled into the sea on 28 March 1989. Of the 226 people on board that night, only 61 survived. Of the deceased, 109 died from smoke inhalation, 13 by drowning, 11 of injuries including burns. In 4 cases, the cause of death could not be established, and 30 bodies were never recovered.
Which company owned Piper Alpha?
Occidental Petroleum
Owned by Occidental Petroleum, Piper Alpha began production in 1976 at the Piper oil field, which is owned by the OPCAL joint venture (JV). It was initially constructed as an oil production platform and later added with a gas recovery module to facilitate gas production. Piper oil field produced oil from 36 wells.
How did the Piper Alpha explode?
What caused Piper Alpha disaster? The primary cause of the accident was ruled to be maintenance work simultaneously carried out on one of the high-pressure condensate pumps and a safety valve, which led to a leak in condensates.
What could have prevented the Piper Alpha disaster?
The firewalls on Piper Alpha could have stopped the spread of a fire. They were, however, not built to withstand an explosion. The initial blast blew the firewalls down. Proper location and fireproofing of emergency shutdown valves are essential in order to cut off fuel supply in case of a fire.
How long did Piper Alpha burn for?
It took over three weeks for the fires to be extinguished. The remains of Piper Alpha were toppled into the sea on 28 March 1989. Of the 226 people on board that night, only 61 survived.
Why did the Ocean Ranger oil rig sink?
Three inquiries, the joint Federal-Provincial Royal Commission on the Ocean Ranger Marine Disaster and 2 US studies, found that the rig sank after seawater entered its ballast control room through a broken porthole and caused an electrical malfunction in the ballast panel controlling the rig’s stability.
Who put out the Piper Alpha oil rig fire?
After burning for six weeks, the fire was put out by Paul Neal ‘Red’ Adair, an experienced oil well fireman. The wreckage of the Piper Alpha oil production platform still burns in the North Sea, off Aberdeen, July 7, 1988. William Douglas Cullen, Baron Cullen of Whitekirk, led a public inquiry into the disaster.
What happened to the Piper Alpha offshore platform?
The offshore platform started producing gas in the early 1980s and had three main gas transport risers and an oil export riser before the incident, which destroyed the entire facility and caused an estimated loss of $1.4bn. The Piper Alpha disaster occurred due to gas leakage from one of the condensate pipes at the platform on 6 July 1988.
What caused the Piper Alpha disaster?
The escaping condensate ignited. The first explosion was quickly followed by an oil pipe rupture and fire. The sequential failure of the gas lines then caused a rapid escalation of the disaster. Many lessons can be drawn from the tragic events on Piper Alpha; this paper focusses on seven key areas.
What caused the North Sea oil rig explosion in 1988?
One hundred sixty-seven workers perished in the fire that followed an explosion on July 6, 1988, caused by a gas leak on the North Sea oil rig, 120 miles off the northeast coast of Scotland. The wreckage of the Piper Alpha oil production platform still burns in the North Sea, off Aberdeen, July 7, 1988.
