Word: kielland
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...number of men still missing and the dim prospects for finding them alive seem certain to make the Piper Alpha explosion the worst oil rig disaster ever, surpassing the 123 deaths when the Alexander L. Kielland platform capsized in Norway's North Sea waters in March...
Indeed, the Alexander Kielland appeared to be a marvel of modern marine engineering. Built in 1976 by the Compagnie Française d'Entreprises Métalliques, based in Paris, the pentagonal 10,105-ton platform was leased and operated by Phillips Petroleum Co., the major contractor for oil and natural gas prospecting in the rich Edda field. For the rotating crews that lived there for two weeks at a time, it was intended to be a floating city-a sort of workingman's Titanic. And like the Titanic, the Alexander Kielland was theoretically invulnerable. Says Jakob...
...days before it was due for a complete overhaul. Its designated replacement, the Henrik Ibsen, was recently refitted to accommodate 620 workers; but in light of last week's tragedy, Norwegian authorities withdrew its fitness certificate until a thorough inspection could be completed. The fate of the Alexander Kielland also gave pause to other governments drilling in the area. Calling for a re-examination of offshore oil safety laws, British Energy Secretary David Howell grimly told the House of Commons: "What has happened now is a somber warning of the appallingly dangerous conditions under which people work...