An oil rig disaster is a type of pollution that occurs when a crude oil product is discharged into the environment due to human activities, particularly in the maritime ecosystem.
Even if you’ve never worked on an oil rig, you’ll find the thought of an oil rig explosion horrifying. However, for people working with extremely flammable materials for a total of 12 hours each day, the dangers are quite serious.
Oil rig jobs are among the most hazardous in the country. There will always be the possibility of an explosion. On the other hand, assistance is usually a long distance off.
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Causes of Oil Rig Disasters
Oil rig operators are most concerned about explosions and fires. There is no limit to the destruction unleashed by the mere interaction of a spark with gas or oil.
The fire keeps burning because of an unending supply of fuel, and there is little possibility of it being put out or escaping. In terms of danger, the fire is the most serious of the two. This is particularly true for offshore extraction rigs used for oil and natural gas exploration. The combustible fuels they drill for are stored on these platforms until the ship returns to port.
Explosions on oil drilling platforms are caused by a variety of factors, including:
Blowouts
Blowouts happen when oil or natural gas is released from a well without being controlled. Blowouts were common before pressure mechanisms were devised to prevent them, known as gushers.
Blowouts nowadays occur when pressure-controlling equipment fails. A single spark can turn a minor leak into a devastating inferno.
Blowouts rarely occur without notice. When the pressure equalizes before the blowout, a kick could happen. A blowout is almost certain if the personnel fail to control the kick.
Failure of Equipment
Even with today’s technological developments, oil rig equipment is still dangerous. Oil companies must enforce policies in all aspects of the job to decrease the chance of hazards.
When compared to other methods of drilling, offshore drilling is more dangerous. These areas are very far away from assistance in an emergency. When working offshore, helicopters are frequently used to transport injured employees to hospitals. Minor injuries become more serious due to the length of time it takes.
There are two ways in which equipment failure might lead to an explosion. It has the potential to produce sparks, which can burn fuels. An explosion can occur if it fails to work, preventing or delaying a safety procedure.
Negligence
Negligence can be committed in various ways and by a range of individuals. Noncompliance with a safety program and the improper use of equipment are a few examples of negligence on the part of workers and their supervisors.
In the past, the general public had no idea what went on onboard oil rigs or the dangers that workers faced daily.
Major events such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill have placed the likelihood of catastrophic events into public view. Hopefully, this will encourage oil companies to be more diligent in adhering to standards and ensuring the safety of their employees.
Anyone, not simply the employer, can commit negligence. Workers who do not follow safety protocols, businesses that manufacture the drilling platform, and anyone involved in the process can all be held responsible.
Even if the employer was unaware of the safety requirement, they might be held liable if their acts or failure to act culminated in an incident that hurt or killed another person.
Oil rig workers, regardless of position, should know how an oil rig explosion occurs. Explosions and fires can be prevented in the future by training, monitoring, and implementing safety regulations.
Kitchen Fires
Cooking can start a fire, yet most people don’t give it a second thought. The drillers must work long hours and frequently depend on an aboard cook to provide nutritious meals. Even if a kitchen fire starts in a location with little fuel contact, fires can spread fast to nearby places.
Mother Nature
Equipment can be damaged by lightning, storms, and other acts of Mother Nature. It can also produce additional problems, such as fires or explosions.
3 Worst Oil Rig Disaster Incidents
Piper Alpha, UK North Sea, 1988
On July 6, 1988, the Piper Alpha blew up. It crashed, killing 165 personnel aboard and two emergency crews after the collapsing rig damaged their rescue ship, which had been caught under rubble and paralyzed. A total of 61 workers were able to flee and escape. Thirty of the bodies were never found. It was among the most expensive man-made disasters in history, with almost £1.7 billion in a total insured loss. The platform was responsible for about 10 per cent of North Sea petroleum and hydrocarbon production at the time of the tragedy. This is the worst offshore oil disaster ever in terms of lives lost and industry damage.
Alexander L. Kielland, the Norwegian North Sea, 1980
When a semi-submersible drilling rig sank in the Ekofisk oil field of Norway in March 1980, 123 workers were killed. It was part of the Pentagone series of platforms.
Since World War II, the capsize has been the biggest disaster in Norwegian waters. The rig, located around 320 kilometres east of Dundee, Scotland, was operated by the Norwegian Stavanger Drilling Company and was leased out to Phillips Petroleum in the United States at the time of the catastrophe. Alexander Lange Kielland, a Norwegian author, inspired the rig’s name.
Seacrest Drillship disaster, South China Sea, 1989
The rig vessel DS Seacrest, popularly known as “the Scan Queen,” was manufactured in Singapore by Far East Levingston Shipbuilding Ltd., managed by Unocal Corporation, and leased by Great Eastern Drilling and Engineering.
Typhoon Gay sank the vessel on November 3, 1989, in the Gulf of Thailand. After the vessel sank, ninety-one rig employees were killed, prompting a major lawsuit against the ship’s owners, UNOCAL.
Only six people were confirmed alive: one Indonesian rescuer and five Thai rig personnel. However, the numbers differ slightly based on the source. All agree that the sinking was the third deadliest offshore catastrophe in history. The bodies of several of the victims were never found.
Typhoon Gay brought winds up to 100 mph (51 m/s) and waves of up to 12 meters (40 feet). It was followed by hundreds of wrecked fishing vessels, drowning 529 people and displacing around 160,000 people.