The offshore platform destroyed in the 1988 North Sea oil disaster was Piper Alpha.
Piper Alpha was an oil production platform operated by Occidental Petroleum in the North Sea, about 120 miles northeast of Aberdeen, Scotland. On 6 July 1988, a gas leak ignited, causing a series of explosions and fires that destroyed the platform.
The disaster killed 167 people, making it the deadliest accident in the history of offshore oil and gas production. The platform’s location and the intensity of the fire made rescue and evacuation extremely difficult. Two workers survived after jumping into the sea, and one rescue worker also died.
The Cullen Report, led by Lord Cullen, found serious weaknesses in safety management and permit-to-work procedures. Its recommendations reshaped offshore safety regulation in the United Kingdom, including greater emphasis on safety cases and operator responsibility.