The Piper Alpha was once Britain’s biggest single oil and gas producing platform, bringing more than 300,000 barrels of crude a day – 10% of the country’s total – from below the seabed 125 miles north-east of Aberdeen . Oil was discovered at the Piper field in 1973 and was brought on stream three years later. By 1980 the steel platform was modified to also take gas and was connected by pipeline to the Orkney Islands. The accident was initiated by a gas leak, and 167 people died. This was due to inadequate maintenance and safety procedures, and since then significant changes and improvements in these procedures have been made.
53400login-checkJuly 6th – The Piper Alpha disaster which killed 167 workers of the coast of Aberdeen is the world’s deadliest ever oil rig accident
The 6 th July marks the 28th anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster , in which 167 offshore workers lost their lives in the North Sea.