Alexander Kielland was a Norwegian oil platform in the Ekofisk field. The platform, located approximately 320 km east from Dundee, Scotland, was owned by the US company Phillips Petroleum. The platform was named after the Norwegian writer.

After 40 months of service, the floating drill platform was no longer used for drilling purposes but served as a living quarters for the nearby Edda platform. On March 27, 1980, while most of the crew where in the platform's cinema, a support-bracing collapsed and the platform capsized. Of the 212 people aboard, 123 were killed, making it, as of 2004, the worst disaster in Norwegian offshore history.

One year later, in March 1981, the investigative report concluded that the platform collapsed owing to a fatigue crack in one of its six bracings, (bracing D-6), which connected the collapsed D-leg to the rest of the platform. The platform was recovered in 1983.

Not long after the Alexander Kielland platform capsized, its sister platform Henrik Ibsen tilted over, but was straightened up again.

Bibliography

• Bignell, V & Fortune, J (1984) Understanding Systems Failures Ch. 5 ISBN 0719009731
• The Alexander L. Kielland accident, report of a Norwegian public commission appointed by royal decree of March 28, 1980, presented to the Ministry of Justice and Police March, 1981 ISBN B0000ED27N

External Links

• Website alleging the accident was a terrorist attack