Piper Alpha

Piper Alpha disaster
Piper Alpha on fire shortly after the failure of the Tartan gas riser
Piper Alpha is located in North Sea
Piper Alpha
Piper Alpha
Aberdeen
Aberdeen
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Piper Alpha's location in the North Sea, around 120 miles (190 kilometres) north-east of Aberdeen, Scotland
Date6 and 7 July 1988
TimeApproximately 22:00 (BST) (first explosion)
LocationPiper Alpha platform, Piper oilfield, North Sea (UK sector)
Coordinates58°28′01″N 00°15′36″E / 58.46694°N 0.26000°E / 58.46694; 0.26000[1]
TypeExplosion and fire
Cause- Startup of a condensate pump that had not been mechanically isolated due to ongoing maintenance
- Lack of protection by design of gas risers
Filmed byScottish Television
Deaths167
Property damage£1.7 billion (£6 billion in 2023)
InquiriesPiper Alpha Public Inquiry (Cullen Inquiry)
AwardsSeven George Medal, eight Queen's Gallantry Medal, and five Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct recipients[2]

Piper Alpha was an oil platform located in the North Sea about 120 miles (190 km) north-east of Aberdeen, Scotland. It was operated by Occidental Petroleum (Caledonia) Limited (OPCAL) and began production in December 1976,[3] initially as an oil-only platform, but later converted to add gas production.

Piper Alpha exploded and collapsed under the effect of sustained gas jet fires in the night between 6 and 7 July 1988, killing 165 of the men on board (30 of whose bodies were never recovered), as well as a further two rescuers.[4] Sixty-one workers escaped and survived. The total insured loss was about £1.7 billion (£6 billion in 2023), making it one of the costliest man-made catastrophes ever.[5][6] At the time of the disaster, the platform accounted for roughly 10% of North Sea oil and gas production[3] and was the world’s single largest oil producer.[7] The accident is the worst ever offshore oil and gas disaster in terms of lives lost, and comparable only to the Deepwater Horizon disaster in terms of industry impact.[8][9][10] The inquiry blamed it on inadequate maintenance and safety procedures by Occidental, though no charges were brought.[11][12] A separate civil suit resulted in a finding of negligence against two workers who were killed in the accident.[13]

A memorial sculpture is located in the Rose Garden of Hazlehead Park in Aberdeen.[14]

  1. ^ The Hon Lord Cullen (1990), vol. 1, p. 166.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :15 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :18 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Ross, Peter (15 June 2008). "The Night the Sea Caught Fire: Remembering Piper Alpha". Scotland on Sunday. Archived from the original on 22 August 2010. Retrieved 3 June 2010.
  5. ^ Marsh JLT Specialty (2020). 100 Largest Losses in the Hydrocarbon Industry: 1974–2019 (26th ed.). New York, N.Y.: Marsh.
  6. ^ Frantzich, Håkan; Holmstedt, Göran (2010). "Fire and Explosion". In Grimvall, Göran; Holmgren, Åke J.; Jacobsson, Per; Thedéen, Torbjörn (eds.). Risks in Technological Systems. London, England: Springer-Verlag. p. 229. ISBN 978-1-84882-640-3.
  7. ^ "The 1988 Piper Alpha Explosion". Lloyd's. Archived from the original on 28 June 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  8. ^ Duff, Steven (6 June 2008). "Remembering Piper Alpha Disaster". BBC News. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference :9 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Sutton (2014), p. 78.
  11. ^ The Hon Lord Cullen (1990), vol. 1.
  12. ^ The Hon Lord Cullen (1990), vol. 2.
  13. ^ Lord Caplan (1997).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).