9 votes

The sinking of the Sleipner A offshore platform in 1991

Posted by xk3
Tags: norway, disasters.structural, energy, fuels.fossil, oil and gas, infrastructure, oil rigs, sleipner a, history, 1990s, oceans, north sea, design flaws, materials, concrete, walls.ballast, statoil, analysis.finite element, source.umn
https://www-users.cse.umn.edu/~arnold/disasters/sleipner.html

Link information

This data is scraped automatically and may be incorrect.

Word count
560 words

3 comments

  1. [3]
    xk3
    Link
    I should probably have added (1991) to the title. A new Sleipner A was built in 1993 and that one didn't sink (yet)

    I should probably have added (1991) to the title. A new Sleipner A was built in 1993 and that one didn't sink (yet)

    6 votes
    1. [2]
      terr
      Link Parent
      Glad to hear they only took half as many tries as the medieval approach.

      Glad to hear they only took half as many tries as the medieval approach.

      2 votes
      1. xk3
        Link Parent
        Apparently the first version was not completely finished when it sank--but I wonder how tall it was... It's all sand now according to local hearsay

        As soon as it was realised that the GBS was sinking, order was given to evacuate the platform. All 14 persons got off the structure safely and unhurt, getting help from near-by vessels and boats. From onboard the vessels, they witnessed how the concrete structure was sinking and disappeared under water about 18 minutes after the initial "bang".

        The water depth at site is between 170 and 220 meters. By means of a remote operated vehicle the remainders of the concrete structure were found over a wide area of the muddy sea bed.

        https://onepetro.org/SPEHSE/proceedings/94HSE/94HSE/SPE-27314-MS/56775

        Apparently the first version was not completely finished when it sank--but I wonder how tall it was...

        It's all sand now according to local hearsay

        2 votes