Oil Rig Photos = The Maureen Alpha

1984

The Maureen Alpha

The Maureen was one of a kind. A 'Technomara Gravity Structure', the deck was built in the Howard Doris Kishorn yard in Scotland. The 3 tanks on the jacket could be ballasted so that the entire structure could float. After the mating of deck and jacket in Loch Kishorn, the structure was towed out to the Maureen field and ballast pumped into the tanks to increase it's weight and allow it to settle on the sea bed.

Some 18 years later, with the field exhausted, in an operation no-one was certain would succeed, the tanks were de-ballasted and the 112,000 ton platform floated once again.
Picture Added on 03 November 2006.

Comments

I worked on the hook-up in Loch Kishorn, and then many years later for a couple of weeks in the North Sea. All involved received a 'medal' from Howard Doris and Phillips - I think I still have mine somewhere.
Added by Garve Scott-Lodge on 03 November 2006.

Hi also worked on the deck in Kishorn and previous to that on the jacket at Hunterston for nearly 3 yrs. One of the boys that came up with me from Hunterston worked on the hook up 3 months constant without a day off (Phil Devlin). Where is the rig now?
Charlie McCormick

Added by Charlie McCormick on 20 May 2007.

Maureen was refloated in 2001 and taken with the tanker mooring bouy to Aker Stord in Norway for scrapping. The refloat was remarkable as all the original Ballast control room and lines etc had been ripped out years before as space was at a premium. It was refloated at a rate of 1" per hour after several hours work to break free of the mud.

The rig was then "recycled" to a remarkable 99.7% of the circa 110,000 tonnes. It caused a little disharmony at Stord until they washed off the marine growth, which stank, and ran power cables out from the beach. The noise of the gas turbines in the Fjord reverberated around and around to the annoyance of the locals.

Phillips had a website for selling her, but no viable option was found - a little before ebay I suppose - hence she was scrapped.
Added by Smee on 29 June 2007.

Hi My Dad worked in Kishorn during the 80's and I wondered if anyone remembered him - Jim Spencer
Added by Julie Spencer on 05 October 2007.

Hi there all you old commandos. I worked on the legs for the maureen in Hunterston, West Kilbride then up to do the cement barge with a squad of guys from the legs. Can't remember all the names but there was big Willie from Stewarton, Hugh McWaters, John Mcmenemy & Martin Polonis from Ayrshire, John Cairns & Phil ? from Greenock and myself Aly Bird. Sorry I cant remember you all but it was a long time ago. I remember the medals and also when Prince Charles came up to launch the platform. Most of us stayed on to work for Howard Doris on the platform then on a gas rig for the Morcambe Bay. I was one of the last to go before they got another rig to build. Went back up for a week or so with MOS with wee Jimmy the Squeek and Joe ? By then my wife was pregnent so was not keen on me being away so sadly opted for a job in town. I've got some photos of the platform somewhere, I'll try and dig them out. What did Jim Spencer work as? Charlie, your name rings a bell as does Phil Devlin, trying to put a face to the names.
Added by Alistair Bird on 06 November 2007.

Yes Ally the Phill you are thinking of was Phill Devlin. I was the wee guy from Port Glasgow and Bernie Mcdade was the other guy who came up.
Phill was the guy who worked 3 months steady then got sacked his 1st week on shore again for being in the toilet too long.
Remember your big gold granada was it?
Added by Charlie Mcormick on 06 November 2007.

Hi Charlie, remember now, think Phill travelled with me, Yes I had a gold granada and then a black 3.0 S Capri. What are you up too now?
Added by Alistair Bird on 12 November 2007.

Hi Ally stopped the travelling 8yrs ago now and dont realy miss it i am now working in mod repair base easy going job not bothered by gaffers or anything
had a cpl of off site jobs with them but its optional and if you dont like it you can come home.
You also get put up in the best hotels and everything is paid incl drink plus £29 a night and £57 a night overseas well i was in germany for 7 weeks and got a good lift for that
didnt mean to go on as long
catch you later charlie
Added by Charlie Mcormick on 19 November 2007.

Hi Alistair

My Dad, I think worked as a forman (fitter), would have been in his early 60's, was Irish and lived in Nottinghamshire. One of his friends was Billie McCrea (if I have spelt it correctly) who lived in Kishorn. Merry Christmas
Added by Julie Spencer on 24 December 2007.

Aly Bird you lied about your age when you started with Howard Doris Kishorn it was my dad that told you to.

Regards big Martin
Added by Christine Polonis on 12 February 2008.

Hi Martin, Yeah still lying about it yet, (just turned 40 ha ha) How are you? Hi Julie, sorry but just can't place your dad, there were so many of us at the time. Hi Charlie, good to hear you are doing ok, I'm working in the aerospace industry now, been off the tools for about 10 years, miss it like hell (not). Getting soft in my old days. All the best to you all.
Added by Alistair Bird on 20 February 2008.

hi
does anybody remember larry sheedy kishorn wankers club president
still alive and kicking at 86
regards andrew sheedy
Added by Andrew Sheedy on 21 August 2008.

Hi, came across this site .. its amazing what you can find . My name is Derek Anderson ( Deeks ) from Falkirk . I worked on the Maureen as a Plater ( for Fergus Haynes ) . I was a raw arsed laddie, then .. 1982 - 83 and treated the job as a second apprenticeship, definetly in life anyway .
Stayed on the camp and remember mad nights in the welly bar, down the village and weekends at the Fort ( William ) . Crazy days .
Cant recall any names from above as there was so many there . I had a nasty accident on the way home one Saturday < remember we used to work until 4pm then it was the whacky races to get down the road ( 4hrs ) all for to leave late Sunday, early Monday to get back for early start ----- MAD !! The accident happened at Spean Bridge and myself and John Daly ( Plater, Glasgow ) were lucky but I think the whacky races claimed a few incidents .
I remember the buses that left the site, 1 for Stirling, the other Glasgow ..pick up at Sandy Dows pub if i remember . Can anyone remember that big mad Dutchman gaffer with the silver helmet, was it Koomans or something -- mad .
Now working ( 48 ) in the process game, control room, and when I hear them whinging about it being too warm or to chilly or pishy wee things like that, I look back to going down to the Maureen from the camp, 07.00, middle of Jan, freezing and I think to myself ..................
All the best to anyone who experienced Kishorn.
Added by Derek Anderson on 26 August 2008.

Willy Kooymans is long departed as is the "Fog"-John Fogarty, Jackie Borland as well as probably loads of others from that era, Andy Sheedy- how are you doing these days- I still come across Gary borland from time to time and occasionally others who are still in the same industry, it wasn't everyones cup of tea but I enjoyed my time there.
Added by Roy Williams on 07 September 2008.

Hello to anyone who remembers my late husband Tommy Birrell, he had his first heart attack while working on the Maureen. I didn't notice anyone having the medal given by Prince Charles dated 1983, I still have Tommy's to pass on to his Great grandson.
Added by Jean Birrell on 08 September 2008.

Hi, I work on the Judy platform for Conocophillips, most of my fellow (older)work mates all worked on the Maureen, since it was a Phillips platform at the time. what great stories they tell of the place and how much the oil industry has changed nowadays.!!
Added by Oil Ops on 22 October 2008.

Hi everyone, My names Chris Bell and I worked on the Maureen as a welder during construction at Kishorn for S P E L, Seagull & NE pipework (anyone remember the foodfight?) then offshore on 'hook up' with Grootcon and finally on the maintenance crew offshore for AMOD, just came across this site while browsing, would be nice to hear from anyone that might remember me as I came across so many characters during those crazy times!
Added by Chris Bell on 27 October 2008.

A friend of mine, Ken Townshend of Greenwich, was involved in the design of the deballasting system for Maureen's removal. Ken died this year of a heart attack, he had a pacemeker fitted some years ago and then had a stroke. He was one of the characters that make the offshore work so much fun. He is sadly missed.
Added by Craig Lang on 04 November 2008.

Hi Derek probably do know you as I was there at the same time - I was also in no less than 3 crashes at the weekends (don't think many weren't) and you were nearly right about the pub it was Sammy Dows. I still go into it now and again when I am in Glasgow, as for the bus anyone remember Geordie Richardson plater going down the rd for the Xmas hols with kerry oots. Geordie went to the toilet and when the bus went round a bend he went out the window middle of nowhere on a snow covered Rannoch Moor - all the guys were queueing up banging the door waiting for a pee, didn't know he was lying in a ditch miles back till some van driver saw him. I remember the food fight too. As for the blackhats the fog and bachelor etc I went into Scott/Lithgow as a subbie and a lot of them ended up there too to plague us. They were good days for a young man but don't think I would do it now. By the way Deeks I am staying in Cowie now and go to Falkirk now and again for a drink.
Added by Name not supplied on 09 November 2008.