UK oil industry reflects on Piper Alpha lessons

摘要

What safety lessons has the UK North Sea oil industry learned as it reflects on the 20th anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster?On July 6,1988,167 people died in an explosion and fireball on the Piper Alpha oil platform due to a gas-condensate leak from pipework connected to a condensate pump(OGJ,July 11,1988,p.20).The safety valve had been removed for maintenance,the leak was ignited,and an explosion and fire fol-lowed;only 61 people survived.