Initial investigations of the wreckage after the rig was towed ashore

At 8:10 on Monday morning, April 21st, 1980, the M/S Åmøyfjord departed from Kalhammeren in Stavanger. On board, along with 6 divers and crew, were three representatives from CFEM, Holger Boge from Stavanger Drilling, and O. Meling from the police. They were to conduct the first investigations of the rig after it was towed ashore.

Written by Norwegian Petroleum Museum

- One of the legs of the Alexander L. Kielland rig, and its machinery. Picture taken during the righting operation from September 5th to 15th 1983.

M/S Havfruen was also present with personnel from Bloms Survey and an additional representative from CFEM.

CFEM, the shipyard that built the rig, was particularly concerned with examining whether doors and ventilation openings were open or closed, which could have affected how quickly the rig capsized due to water ingress.

From the log, we see that the inspections lasted for several days. Pictures and films were taken of pillars, struts, nodes, and other elements to document the rig’s condition and to search for possible causes of the accident. Equipment failed, and cameras had to be repaired.

After just one week, the rig was close to sinking. The divers were busy trying to avert this by filling the pillars with air balloons to keep the rig afloat. The drama was followed by fishing boats with journalists from, among others, VG, Haugesunds avis, and a TV team from the BBC.

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You can find the log from the initial inspections of the Kielland in Åmøyfjorden here:

Norwegian Digital Archives (Norwegian)

Towing the Capsized Kielland rig Complaints about drilling during the search for the deceased

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Footnotes