Platform Manager’s Diary
Platform manager Torstein Sæd kept his private diary about events on the rig, which he kept at home. Could this shed light on the causes of the accident? The diary is now available in the Digital Archives.
On the Alexander L. Kielland, logbooks were maintained, recording important events and activities on board. These were regularly sent to management in Stavanger. After the accident, these reports were of interest as what occurred on the rig before the accident might shed some light on the causes of the catastrophe. However, it turned out that the logbooks from the weeks before the accident were missing. Therefore, there was significant interest in whether Sæd’s private diary notes could illuminate the incident.
The platform manager, who died in the accident, went out into the North Sea a few hours before the rig capsized. The diary with notes from his penultimate trip was at home. According to family members, the book was handed over to the management of Stavanger Drilling shortly after the accident and was later returned to the family.
Kian Reme received the book in June 1983, having obtained it from an acquaintance of Sæd’s family. However, it emerged that the diary also lacked information. Sæd worked 16-day shifts with 24 days onshore. On his penultimate trip, the notes end after only 7 days on board. Otherwise, there are entries for each day he was on board. Thus, there is no information about what happened on the platform in the weeks before the accident.
According to Kian, the diary has loose pages and is missing 3 sheets. This has led to speculation about whether someone may have tampered with the notes and what might have been removed.
Explore the diary here:
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