Ekofisk, Oil field in North Sea, Norway
Ekofisk is an oil field in the North Sea located roughly 320 kilometers southwest of Stavanger off Norway's coast. The installation consists of approximately 30 platforms spread across a large area that extract oil and natural gas from beneath the seabed.
Phillips Petroleum Company discovered this oil field in 1969, marking the first major petroleum strike in the North Sea following extensive exploration efforts. The find transformed Norway's approach to energy development and established the basis for the nation's growing oil industry.
The development of Ekofisk transformed Norway into a primary European oil producer, establishing the foundation for the country's modern petroleum industry.
Access to the field is restricted to helicopter or boat, with conditions depending on weather patterns typical for the North Sea. Visitors should know this is an active industrial site requiring special permission and safety training to enter the platform areas.
In 1987, five interconnected platforms were lifted 6 meters simultaneously to counter seabed subsidence. This coordinated engineering feat became a technical sensation and earned a place in the Guinness World Records.
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