One Dead in North Sea Drilling Incident

Aker BP has confirmed that a person died after an accident on the Maersk Interceptor drilling rig in the Tambar field in the southern part of the North Sea.

Maersk Interceptor is currently drilling wells on the Tambar field for Aker BP. The deceased, a Norwegian citizen and employee of Maersk Drilling, fell into the sea during maintenance work on the rig. The person was picked up from the water by a standby vessel and transported by helicopter to Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen.

Another person, also an employee of Maersk Drilling, was injured during the incident. His condition is not critical. This person has been transported to Stavanger University Hospital.

The report of a serious incident on Maersk Interceptor came at 12.10 on Thursday. How the incident occurred has not yet been clarified. The drilling operation on Maersk Interceptor has been secured. Production on Tambar has been shut down. 

The Tambar field is located 16 kilometers southeast of Ula. The field has been developed with a normally unmanned wellhead platform, controlled from Ula. Production started in 2001.

“Our thoughts are now with the families, the injured person and everyone else who is affected by this serious accident. We have cooperated closely with Maersk Drilling and will do everything we can to take care of those affected and their families in this difficult situation,” says Chief Executive Officer of Aker BP Karl Johnny Hersvik.