To prevent such incidents from occurring in the future, rae insisted that the workforce must be engaged, empowered, and committed to a safety culture in oil production. Learning from the piper alpha accident the offshore platform piper alpha, which was lo cated in the british sector of the north sea oil field and operated by occidental petroleum, was engulfed in a catastrophic fire on july 6, 1988. Most of the victims suffocated in toxic fumes which developed after a gas leak set off the blasts and sparked the fire. At weeks end more than 100 contract workers who had been refurbishing three other british platforms left their jobs, out of concern for their safety. Pdf in 1998, the explosion of the piper alpha platform claimed 167 lives, making it the worlds worst offshore oil disaster. Piper alpha re ceived and sent to the shore the oil and gas production of a group of platforms. The change in safety management for offshore oil and gas. The north seas piper oil field was discovered in 1973. The loss of the piper alpha platform in 1988 is the case study used in the present study. Piper alpha was an oil production platform in the north sea operated by occidental petroleum caledonia limited. Pdf survivors of the piper alpha oil platform disaster. The investigation into the piper alpha disaster has.
Jun 01, 2019 the piper alpha disaster in the north sea, uk, which killed 167 people in july 1988, is the deadliest offshore oil rig accident in history. As shifts changed and the night crew aboard piper alpha assumed duties for the evening, one of the platforms two condensate pumps failed. Alpha piper disaster introduction the accident, which occurred on board of the seaward platform piper alpha in july 1988, took lives of 167 people and cost billions of dollars damage of property. The main elements presented to the students in the class room follow. An explosion on the piper alpha platform occurred in july 1988.
The british response the results of the official investigation by lord cullen, including the final recommendations of his investigation. It produced oil from 24 wells and in its early life it had also produced gas from two wells. We undertook a survey of survivors of the piper alpha oil platform disaster 1988. Date 6th of july 1988 consequences 167 out of the 229 people on board were killed. Discovered in 1973 and brought on stream in 1976, piper alpha was one of the biggest offshore oil platforms in the uk, producing more than 300,000 barrels of crude a day about 10% of the countrys total. Article by fiona macleod ceng ficheme and stephen richardson. About piper alpha placed at north sea, the platform began production in 1976, first as an oil platform and then later converted to gas oil production started in 1976 with about 250,000 barrels 40,000 m3 of oil per day increasing to 300,000 barrels 48,000 m3 a gas recovery m. Piper alpha is an offshore oil and gas platform that suffered an explosion. It was caused by a massive fire, which was not the result of an unpredictable act of god but of an accumulation of errors and questionable decisions. A common safety system, the permit to work aims to ensure that only quali.
Survivors of the piper alpha oil platform disaster. In 1996, lord cullen led the inquiry into the massacre at dunblane primary school ladbroke grove. Piper alpha was an oil production platform in the north sea approximately 120 miles 190 km. The piper alpha is placed in the north sea, around 193 km northeast of aberdeen. Abbreviated timeline of the piper alpha disaster, 6th. Furthermore, macondo raises regulatory concerns for the us just as the 1988 piper alpha disaster. North of scotland piper alpha report made free to public after charges deemed unacceptable. The piper alpha disaster revealed the potential of operation failures with respect to dramatically destroying an entire offshore installation.
As part of its macondo investigation, the csb held a public hearing in december 2010 on the international use of. It was connected by an oil pipeline to flotta and by gas pipelines to two other installations. Australia on cusp of piper alphastyle disaster, warns visiting trade unionist. Piper alpha survivors recall disaster 25 years on business. Piper alpha and the cullen report oxford academic journals. This series contains the records of the public inquiry, chaired by the hon lord cullen between 11 november 1988 and 15 february 1990, into the accident on the piper alpha offshore drilling platform.
Jul 04, 20 e ven 25 years on, charles haffeys most powerful memory of the piper alpha disaster was the overwhelming, deafening noise. British sector north sea oil field 120 miles aberdeen scotland 4 5. The offshore industry response an indepth analysis at the current system of. The field was discovered in january 1973 and the same year construction of platform took place. Occidental petroleum, the oil company operator of piper alpha. At the time of the disaster, piper was one of the heaviest platforms along with magnus and brae b. The first cullen report was prompted by occidental petroleums piper alpha disaster on 6 july 1988, in which gas condensate ignited, killing 167 of the 229 people on board the oil platform in only 22 minutes dunblane. An explosion and resulting oil and gas fires destroyed piper alpha on 6 july 1988, killing 167 men. Using concept maps to assess learning of safety case. May 25, 2014 the piper alpha disaster on the morning 6 th july 1988, as part of a maintenance program, a gas pump pressure safety valve was removed from the processing area and, as the work could not be completed that day, a blanking plat was fitted over the end of pipe where the pump had been removed.
It began production in 1976, initially as an oilonly platform but later converted to add gas production. Piper alpha proved spectacularly productive and when the operator, occidental, sought permission to increase rates, permission was granted on condition that gas should also be exported instead of being flared. The crew worked to resolve the issue before platform production was affected. Piper alpha est le nom dune ancienne plateforme petroliere situee en mer du nord pres du. Bibliography building process safety culture tool kit. This article compares two industrial disasters in the offshore oil industry, the explosion and fire on piper alpha off the coast of scotland in 1988, the worlds worst offshore disaster, and the. A total of 167 people died in the piper alpha fire making it the worlds worst offshore oil disaster. However, whereas the myriad lessons learned from this disaster are common knowledge among chemical and process engineers, the valuable safety lessons from this harrowing story are arguably not so obvious to laboratory chemists. Binder singh, paul jukes, bob wittkower, ben poblete ionik consultingjp kenny inc. So other platforms continued production and pumping of gas for sometime which supplied additional fuel to the fire at piper. First report on piper alpha disaster released upi archives. London the first report on the cause of piper alpha oil rig disaster that killed 167 men, released thursday, said it was may have followed an explosion in the main gas compressor that set off a.
The longterm psychological effects of surviving a major disaster are poorly understood. Learning from the piper alpha accident semantic scholar. The report was previously only available in print at a cost of. Piper alpha that killed 167 workers in the worlds deadliest offshore oil. The piper alpha disaster which killed 167 workers on 6 july 1988 off the coast of aberdeen is the worldsdeadliest ever oil rig accident. It concluded that the initial condensate leak was the result of maintenance work being carried out simultaneously on a pump and related safety valve. While this 5 summary has been condensed and paraphrased, it is believed to been consistent with the facts and conclusions outlined in the cullen report.
The third cullen report was a result of lord cullens. This, rae said, coupled with the lack of leadership on the piper alpha, resulted in the ongoing escalation of the disaster and ultimately the loss of 167 lives and the platform. This produced a further massive explosion and fireball that engulfed the piper alpha platform. Jul 04, 20 on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the piper alpha disaster, a north sea oil and gas insider claims safety measures are made a mockery by management bullying. Using concept maps to assess learning of safety case studies. Description the disaster began with a routine maintenance procedure. Piper alpha was a large north sea oil platform that started production in 1976. Pipe lift raft on its aunching platform efore h, init. The controversy around it was heightened when a report.
This leads to a second evident paradox in comparing the two disasters. Landmark piper alpha cullen report now free to download. Importance learning from major incident piper alpha disaster. Occidental piper alphas operator, which was found guilty of having inadequate maintenance and safety procedures the enquiry made 106 recommendations for changes to north sea safety procedures. In november 1990 lord cullens report into the disaster severely criticised safety procedures on the rig owned by occidental. On july 6, 1988, the piper alpha oil platform experienced a series of 10 catastrophic explosions and fires. Jun 24, 2014 dokumenter mengenai ledakan anjungan lepas pantai piper alpha di north sea. Piper alpha atform from the,xlpha forll the all pi. An evaluation of human failure contributions to piper. It appears your web browser is not configured to display pdf files. The accident that occurred on board the offshore platform piper alpha in july 1988 killed 167 people and cost billions of dollars in property damage. Piper disaster the hon lord cullen department of energy.
Feb 12, 2018 about piper alpha 15 it was discovered in 1973 by occidental petroleum caledonia in 1975 piper alpha oil rig was constructed on july 6th 1988, an explosion of the piper alpha platform 3 4. The piper alpha incident is still regarded as the worst offshore oil disaster in the history of the uk. Download adobe acrobat or click here to download the pdf file. The disaster caused the death of 165 men out of 226 on board. The public inquiry into the piper alpha disaster book.
An evaluation of human failure contributions to piper alpha disaster. It began production in 1976, but on july 6, 1988 it was the site of the worlds. After 180 days of proceedings, it released its report public inquiry into the piper alpha disaster short. The disaster and beyond what went wrong an overview of the events which led to the piper alpha disaster. Pdf the british offshore oil industry after piper alpha. As is well documented, this disaster took place aboard the north sea oil platform, piper. The 1988 piper alpha disaster remains one of the worst. On the eve of the 25th anniversary of the piper alpha disaster, a north sea oil and gas insider claims safety measures are made a mockery by management bullying. Lord cullens inquiry into the piper alpha disaster set forth 106 recommendations aimed at lifting safety standards in the.
About piper alpha 15 it was discovered in 1973 by occidental petroleum caledonia in 1975 piper alpha oil rig was constructed on july 6th 1988, an explosion of the piper alpha platform 3 4. Cullen recommendations lifted safety standards and improved conditions. Pdf preventable disasters in the offshore oil industry. This paper examines the following aspects of offshore safety in oil and gas production systems before and after the piper alpha disaster. An evaluation of human failure contributions to piper alpha. In the explosion and subsequent fire on the oil platform, 167. May 06, 20 july 6, 1988, piper oilfield, north sea. Summary the investigation into the piper alpha disaster has much to teach us thirty years on. As shifts changed and the night crew aboard alpha piper assumed duties for the evening, one of the platforms two condensate pumps failed. The main contributors to the piper alpha disaster are. Public inquiry into the piper alpha disaster the lord cullen report.
The accident killed 165 out of 226 crew members and two crew members from the standby vessel sandhaven. Piper alpha was an oil production platform in the north sea approximately 120 miles 190 km northeast of aberdeen, scotland, that was operated by occidental petroleum caledonia limited. Piper alpha platform, north sea offshore technology oil. Bbc nine oclock news piper alpha 7th july 1988 part one duration. What caused the giant piper alpha oil rig explosion. The piper alpha disaster on the morning 6 th july 1988, as part of a maintenance program, a gas pump pressure safety valve was removed from the processing area and, as the work could not be completed that day, a blanking plat was fitted over the end of. The vast inferno created by simultaneous eruptions from ruptured gas and.
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