- Startup of a condensate pump that had not been mechanically isolated due to ongoing maintenance - Lack of protection by design of gas risers
Filmed by
Scottish Television
Deaths
167
Property damage
£1.7 billion (£6 billion in 2023)
Inquiries
Piper Alpha Public Inquiry (Cullen Inquiry)
Awards
Seven 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]
^The Hon Lord Cullen (1990), vol. 1, p. 166.
^Cite error: The named reference :15 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ abCite error: The named reference :18 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^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.
^Marsh JLT Specialty (2020). 100 Largest Losses in the Hydrocarbon Industry: 1974–2019 (26th ed.). New York, N.Y.: Marsh.
^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.
^"The 1988 Piper Alpha Explosion". Lloyd's. Archived from the original on 28 June 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
^Duff, Steven (6 June 2008). "Remembering Piper Alpha Disaster". BBC News. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
^Cite error: The named reference :9 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Sutton (2014), p. 78.
^The Hon Lord Cullen (1990), vol. 1.
^The Hon Lord Cullen (1990), vol. 2.
^Lord Caplan (1997).
^Cite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
PiperAlpha 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...
On July 6, 1988, an explosion and subsequent inferno on the company's PiperAlpha platform in the Scottish North Sea, resulted in 167 fatalities in what...
Whitekirk. The first Cullen Report was prompted by Occidental Petroleum's PiperAlpha disaster on 6 July 1988, in which gas condensate ignited, killing 167...
helicopter and a hospital ship with 22 beds, that rescued survivors from the PiperAlpha oil platform disaster. The vessel carried out firefighting on the night...
in 1992, and commenced production in February 1993. It replaced the PiperAlpha platform which exploded in July 1988 killing 167 men. It is located approximately...
July 2023. BBC – Afternoon Play – Cut to the Heart BBC – Drama on 3 – PiperAlpha "4. THE ENGLISH WAY OF DEATH (STANDARD EDITION)". Big Finish Productions...
USS Samuel B. Roberts 24 Apr: USS Bonefish 29 Apr: USS Sam Houston 6 Jul: PiperAlpha 11 Jul: City of Poros 23 Jul: JDS Nadashio 2 Sep: ROCS Huei Yang 22 Sep:...
was the deadliest structural fire in the United Kingdom since the 1988 PiperAlpha oil-platform disaster and the worst UK residential fire since the German...
in the United Kingdom in response to the deaths of 167 workers on the PiperAlpha platform on 6 July 1988. The death of another worker on the Ocean Odyssey...
was imminent. Hammer was leading Occidental in 1988 when its oil rig, PiperAlpha, exploded, killing 167 men. The Cullen Report highlighted failings in...
development for the Piper field. The terminal (coordinates 58° 20’ 22” N 03° 06’ 24” W) received ‘live’ crude oil from PiperAlpha via a 125-mile (210 km)...
British disasters, all of which are known as the Cullen Inquiry: The PiperAlpha oil platform disaster, 6 July 1988. The Dunblane Massacre of schoolchildren...
compromising structural integrity and leading to incident escalation. The PiperAlpha disaster in 1988 demonstrated how the accidental release of hydrocarbon...
Well Control Inc. In 1988, Adair helped to extinguish the UK sector PiperAlpha oil platform fire in the North Sea. At age 75, Adair participated with...
and gas industry Saturation diving – Diving decompression technique PiperAlpha – Oil platform destroyed by explosion and fire in 1988 Pioneer – 2013...
Liberal Democrats. There were also two notable disasters this year: the PiperAlpha oil rig explosion and the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. Monarch – Elizabeth...
North Sea oil industry was the destruction of the offshore oil platform PiperAlpha in 1988 in which 167 people lost their lives. Besides the Ekofisk oil...
Sea" PiperAlpha disaster July 6, 1988 Oil platform explosions October 5, 2004 (2004-10-05) A series of explosions and fires on the PiperAlpha, an oil...
and foundations. The refinery runs a real risk of becoming Aramco's PiperAlpha, said another expatriate employee, who also accuses Aramco of lacking...
Words". BBC. BBC. Retrieved 17 July 2016. "BBC Radio 3 - Drama on 3, PiperAlpha". BBC. BBC. Retrieved 17 July 2016. "BBC Radio 4 - Classic Serial, Portrait...
a range of artists, including the memorial to those who died in the PiperAlpha disaster. It also has heritage items which have been rescued from various...
was the deadliest structural fire in the United Kingdom since the 1988 PiperAlpha disaster and the worst UK residential fire since the Second World War...
by the General Mining Union Corporation July 6, 1988 North Sea 167/? PiperAlpha oil platform disaster 1991 State of Kuwait Kuwaiti oil fires following...
port crane jib was converted to a fly jib in 2001. In 1978 Occidental’s PiperAlpha was the first platform installation with a Semi Submersible Crane Vessel...
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