Alexander L. Kielland, Oil platform in North Sea, Norway.
The Alexander L. Kielland was an oil platform and floating accommodation unit in the North Sea that housed up to 386 workers. It functioned as both a drilling facility and residential base for Phillips Petroleum personnel operating in the Ekofisk field.
The platform was constructed in the late 1970s to meet growing North Sea oil production demands and began operations in 1978. It experienced structural failure in 1980, resulting in Norway's largest offshore disaster.
The platform bore the name of Alexander Lange Kielland, a famous Norwegian author, reflecting the country's practice of naming offshore structures after national literary figures. This choice connected Norway's cultural heritage to its industrial operations.
The platform sat approximately 320 kilometers (200 miles) east of Dundee, Scotland, in open ocean and was reachable only by helicopter or supply vessel. Working conditions were demanding due to harsh weather and complete isolation from land.
After the disaster, recovered sections of the structure underwent careful engineering examination before being permanently submerged in a Norwegian fjord. This process allowed engineers to study what happened and inform improvements to offshore safety practices.
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