What went wrong with Piper Alpha?
What went wrong with Piper Alpha?
An explosion and resulting oil and gas fires destroyed Piper Alpha on 6 July 1988, killing 167 people, including two crewmen of a rescue vessel; 61 workers escaped and survived. Thirty bodies were never recovered. The total insured loss was about £1.7 billion, making it one of the costliest man-made catastrophes ever.
How many people died on Piper Alpha oil rig?
167
Piper Alpha/Total number of deaths
What caused Piper Alpha explosion?
What caused Piper Alpha disaster? The primary cause of the accident was ruled to be maintenance work simultaneously carried out on one of the high-pressure condensate pumps and a safety valve, which led to a leak in condensates.
Is there a film about the Piper Alpha disaster?
Documentary chronicling the tragic events that occurred on board the Piper Alpha rig in July 1988, when 167 men were killed in the world’s deadliest offshore oil disaster.
Who is blamed Piper Alpha?
Fateful chain of events Last year a civil action in Edinburgh blamed Bob Vernon, 51, and Terry Sutton, 28, for the chain of events which resulted in the explosion.
What remains of Piper Alpha?
The remains of Piper Alpha were toppled into the sea on 28 March 1989. Of the 226 people on board that night, only 61 survived. Of the deceased, 109 died from smoke inhalation, 13 by drowning, 11 of injuries including burns. In 4 cases, the cause of death could not be established, and 30 bodies were never recovered.
Who put out the Piper Alpha fire?
Red Adair
Red Adair: The world-famous firefighter In 1977, he and his crew were involved in capping the North Sea’s biggest oil well blowout at the Ekofisk Bravo platform in the Norwegian sector. He returned in 1988 to help put out the fire on the Piper Alpha oil platform after the explosion claimed the lives of 167 men.
Do oil rigs explode?
Unfortunately, oil platforms have a high-risk of fire or explosion—even though water surrounds them. The most notorious oil rig explosion occurred in 2010 when the Deepwater Horizon rig, owned by Transocean, exploded off the coast of Louisiana.
Who survived Piper Alpha?
Joe Meanen
Joe Meanen survived Piper Alpha by jumping 175ft from the burning platform. It is said it took Mr Meanen seven seconds to hit the water, such was the height he jumped.
Who died in Piper Alpha?
The 1988 Piper Alpha disaster killed 167 people, making it the world’s deadliest oil rig accident in history. Situated just off the coast of Aberdeen, a city famous for its oil rigs and production, the oil platform exploded on July 6 1988.
How long did Piper Alpha burn?
It took over three weeks for the fires to be extinguished. The remains of Piper Alpha were toppled into the sea on 28 March 1989. Of the 226 people on board that night, only 61 survived. Of the deceased, 109 died from smoke inhalation, 13 by drowning, 11 of injuries including burns.
What happens if an oil rig catches fire?
The flame is removed and the fuel can continue to spill out without catching fire. After blowing out the fire, the wellhead must be capped to stop the flow of oil. His lieutenant, Red Adair, went on to become the most famous of oil well firefighters.
When did the Piper Alpha oil rig explosion happen?
It began production in 1976, initially as an oil-only platform but later converted to add gas production. An explosion and resulting oil and gas fires destroyed Piper Alpha on 6 July 1988, killing 167 people, including two crewmen of a rescue vessel; 61 workers escaped and survived.
How old was Red Adair when Piper Alpha exploded?
He returned in 1988 to help put out the fire on the Piper Alpha oil platform after the explosion claimed the lives of 167 men. Still in action at the age of 75, he took part in extinguishing the oil well fires in Kuwait set by retreating Iraqi troops after the Gulf War in 1991.
Where was the Piper Alpha oil platform located?
Piper Alpha From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Piper Alpha was an oil platform located in the North Sea approximately 120 miles (190 km) north-east of Aberdeen, Scotland. It was operated by Occidental Petroleum (Caledonia) Limited and began production in 1976, initially as an oil-only platform but later converted to add gas production.
What was the cause of death on Piper Alpha?
The remains of Piper Alpha were toppled into the sea on 28 March 1989. Of the 226 people on board that night, only 61 survived. Of the deceased, 109 died from smoke inhalation, 13 by drowning, 11 of injuries including burns. In 4 cases, the cause of death could not be established, and 30 bodies were never recovered.
