Alexander L. Kielland - accident

The British has a Oil & Gas Chaplaincy memorial book listing the names of workers who have lost their lives on the UK Continental Shelf. This book is usually kept in the Oil Chapel at The Kirk of St Nicholas, on Union Street in Aberdeen. Each year, a memorial ceremony is held in this church to honor the workers who passed away during the previous year. This tradition began following the Piper Alpha disaster, which is considered the largest accident in the UK oil industry. During the Alexander L. Kielland disaster, which occurred a few years earlier, many British citizens were also involved. Of the 123 who died, 30 were British. In 2024, it was decided that the names of all 123 who lost their lives in the disaster should be included in the memorial book. This was marked by a ceremony on November 2nd at St. Nicholas Church, where Gudny Hansen, who lost her father in the disaster, lit a candle on behalf of all the relatives and bereaved. Watch the entire ceremony here. Families and others connected to the Kielland disaster also attended a separate memorial service led by Chaplain Michael Mair, where the names of all those who died in the disaster were read aloud. It was a moving and dignified day for everyone involved. Some of the bereaved who attended the ceremony in Aberdeen. The evening before, a social gathering was held at the Seamen’s Church, where participants received information, shared experiences, and enjoyed waffles together.  

The Norwegian Petroleum Museum and the National Archives have published an article in the Journal of Energy History about the Alexander Kielland accident, which can be read here. The article sheds light on the work of making archives accessible and the significance this has for those affected by the Alexander L. Kielland accident. During the investigation of the accident, neither the survivors nor the relatives received sufficient information. The Office of the Auditor General believes this may have undermined trust in the commission’s work. In 2019, the commission’s extensive archival material was digitalised and made accessible to all. However, the material was very comprehensive and challenging to navigate. Therefore, the National Archives collaborated with the documentation project at the Norwegian Petroleum Museum to make the archives more accessible. A new search function has been developed, allowing you to easily find information within the scanned pages. There is also documentation on the Alexander Kielland accident in several other archives, from both public institutions and private actors. While the National Archives’ mission is to publish and make archival material accessible, there are restrictions on what can be released. Private entities are under no obligation to transfer their archives to the public and may choose to restrict access or set conditions for use. Publication and accessibility are also affected by GDPR and Norwegian data protection laws. Many of the documents contain sensitive and identifiable information that must be manually reviewed before publication, which is a time-consuming process. Despite these challenges, the National Archives has already published over 200,000 pages related to the accident, now available digitally.

The Norwegian Petroleum Museum had the pleasure of working with Kian on the documentation project about the Kielland accident at the Norwegian Petroleum Museum, which has spanned over three years and is now in its concluding phase. Without Kian Reme, this project would hardly have been realised. Kian was a fearless and decisive man, always available when needed. He was never afraid to voice his opinion and always followed his convictions, but he could also listen, change his mind, and help find compromises. In the documentation project, project manager Else Tungland and Kian made two trips together to the United Kingdom, where they met British bereaved families. Here, many relatives expressed that the contact with Kian and the Kielland Foundation was the only follow-up they had received after the accident. Some had saved these newsletters for over 40 years. The newsletters from the Kielland Foundation and most of the archives of Kian’s work on the Kielland case are now available in the Digital Archive. This is an impressive amount of documents that testify to his determination and tireless efforts. In recent years, he also wrote two books, both of which testify to his dedication and engagement in the Kielland case, with the questions he still wanted answers to documented. Kian Reme has left a lasting legacy. He will be remembered as a pillar who stood up for others. Our thoughts go out to Kian’s family and relatives. Björn Lindberg, Acting Museum Director, Norwegian Petroleum Museum