I was employed on the Ekofisk "tank" from Oct 1976 to Jan 79 as an electrician working under my foreman,Joe Higgins. We come from Blackpool, UK although Joe came from Belfast many years before that. We had worked before together and indeed have done so since the Ekofisk days. Joe went to the far east with Brown and Root whilst I finished to have an operation on my two legs.
We met up again on the Morecambe Bay hook ups employed by James Scott, Glasgow.during 1978. I,along with Peter Trembling, pipefitter foreman ,organised a reunion of Brown and Roots,"North Sea Tigers",and it was held at the Imperial hotel in Blackpool. I used to disperse the gold puzzle rings and various items that were handed to me by two lovely electrical engineers from Thailand, Sam Pichawong and Vijit Boonsward. I used to do a good trade with the Norwegians bartering English wool jumpers off Sandbach Market in exchange for fags for my wife. The fags have long gone along with my wife.
In the early years we arrived and departed by supply boat,to be hauled up onto the platform by "Billy Pugh". Rather interesting though in a force 10 gale. It was on one of these occasions that I had smuggled a bottle of whisky in the lining of my "snorkal" hoping it wouldnt fall out as i was holding onto the "Billy Ppugh" but it was safely delivered to Walt Thomas, Brown and Root's supt. It would have gone down well at night during the card game although he did lose his pants, hat, shirt and snakeskin boots to Joe Higgins,who gave his wife a bit of a fright as they met on Preston railway station as he was wearing them.
Usually it was 18 hours a day for up to ten weeks at a time. Great fantastic money on the "NV" pay system but I still "darned" my socks! I left my "Redring"b oots above a ceiling in case I went back. I bet they are smelling by now!
Wow. I was really glad to find this website!!! I worked on the Tank starting in 1976 and worked for Walt Thomas. My name is Roland "Corky" Cantu from San Antonio Texas. This really brought back some memories being hauled off the supply boats in a gale force wind and dropped on a handrail on top. I was also on the Morecambe Bay program in Barrow-in-Furness. I sure recognize the names in this article. Not too many North Sea Tigers around anymore.
We met up again on the Morecambe Bay hook ups employed by James Scott, Glasgow.during 1978. I,along with Peter Trembling, pipefitter foreman ,organised a reunion of Brown and Roots,"North Sea Tigers",and it was held at the Imperial hotel in Blackpool. I used to disperse the gold puzzle rings and various items that were handed to me by two lovely electrical engineers from Thailand, Sam Pichawong and Vijit Boonsward. I used to do a good trade with the Norwegians bartering English wool jumpers off Sandbach Market in exchange for fags for my wife. The fags have long gone along with my wife.
In the early years we arrived and departed by supply boat,to be hauled up onto the platform by "Billy Pugh". Rather interesting though in a force 10 gale. It was on one of these occasions that I had smuggled a bottle of whisky in the lining of my "snorkal" hoping it wouldnt fall out as i was holding onto the "Billy Ppugh" but it was safely delivered to Walt Thomas, Brown and Root's supt. It would have gone down well at night during the card game although he did lose his pants, hat, shirt and snakeskin boots to Joe Higgins,who gave his wife a bit of a fright as they met on Preston railway station as he was wearing them.
Usually it was 18 hours a day for up to ten weeks at a time. Great fantastic money on the "NV" pay system but I still "darned" my socks! I left my "Redring"b oots above a ceiling in case I went back. I bet they are smelling by now!
Added by Colin Macleod on 15 July 2009.