Oil Rig Photos

I worked on Magnus from day 1 till she was floated out of graving dock at Nigg - what an experience it was. Awesome, thanks BP

Added by Paul Cooper / Welder on 19 November 2009.

I think the ship is the Standby Vessel Grampian Freedom or the Fame which belongs to North Star Rescue in Aberdeen.

Added by Jim Thorburn on 05 June 2010.

Standby vessel is the Grampian Clansman, was owned by North Star shipping of Aberdeen now sold on.

Added by Anon on 09 August 2010.

Is Magnus still in production? [Editor's note:last I heard drilling was expected to continue until 2013 - I'd expect production for quite a while yet.]

Added by Neil Vancans on 12 August 2010.

Hi I used to work on Thistle A in Heli admin and was really good friends with Chris Christie who worked in Heli-Admin on Magnus. I have lost Chris's contact details and would really like to get back in touch. If anyone knows of her whereabouts can they let me know. Many Thanks Lesley

Added by Lesley Duncan (nee Jones) on 26 September 2010.

I worked for James Scott for many years. My job entailed providing TL, power generation and power tool and arc welding maintenance and installation systems from day one. Eventually, when the brand new Polycastle entered the field but was still 10 miles away, about a dozen of us were sent across to see what we thought of it!! Dunno why!! So I was virtually its first occupant. I stayed throughout the hookup and a bit longer (about 18 months I think). Went back in mid/late eighties for a year or so. I enjoyed working on this platform. James Scott still had a maintenance crew aboard, they'd been there since the hookup! Good lads all!! Got a couple of good stories about this job!!

Added by Alan Clark (Oilslick) on 24 December 2010.

Hi Alan you may remember my Dad Mike Jones, he was part of the Commissioning team on Magnus then went on to become OME for several years before joining the BP Apprentice Training scheme.

Added by Lesley Duncan on 24 December 2010.

Hello lesley. (I have a twin daughter called lesley) Yes, your dads name is certainly familiar, but i'm afraid my memories going now and I just cant put a face to his name. Despite being an electrician I was always seconded to the main contractor for the hookup phase for plant maintenance so never really came into contact with bp staff other than welding/construction engineers etc. Never really mixed much with staff from my own company either(James Scot)for that matter although I knew all of the lads. Wish I could see a pic of him though. Actually, I think I may have known him after the hookup when I returned for a year so in mid eighties. I would have loved to be able to tell you that we were good mates, but not to be. If you get the chance, see if he can throw me a few mutual aquantances to set my mind working again. I'll start with Brian Whitehead, BP welding engineer and John Simpson, (J Scot super)!! Mick Gilchrist and Bobby Paterson.(BP sparks) These last 2 are rather special in my world. Bill M'Kay, BP electrical supervisor. Damn, I can't even recall who the main contractor was now and I was seconded to them for 18 months. By the way, tell dad I was aboard Magnus the night the big wave hit it. (Midish 80s). Rumour had it that the accelerometer at helideck level shifted 7 feet. I was also aboard the day the Chinook went down. I would have been on it a coupla days later. There were bp guys claiming £1000s for rolex's, expensive cameras and other top of the range clothes and items lost when the thing went down. A good mate of mine working for Scots got £30. Hey, your getting the ramblings of a semi senile old gadgey now!! Tell dad to look me up on Claymore and Murchison hookups. One last question. Ask him if he recalls the night the only diesel winch aboard with a 10 ton subsea well completion load suspended 20 feet above the seabed and with divers in attendance caught fire and the combined efforts of platform sparks, construction engineers and yes, commissioning crew all had a go at it but couldn't get it going again. And then ask him if he can recall how, and by whom, it was resolved. I'll give you a clue. I was got out of bed at 6am, and the winch was running again in 20 mins, although with no safety or control systems in operation. Control console was totally burnt out. BFN, xxx. Sorry about the rambling but I ain,t got the heart to tidy it up. Anyway, dad might recognise me from this lot!!

Added by Alan Clark on 30 December 2010.

I worked for Electrothermal on the Magnus with Rick Battersby, Andy Parnel, Steve Merredith and a few more scallywags - we were involved in the preheating and stressing after the welding had been done. Been trying to get hold of Sandy Duncam from Banchory if anybody knows of where he is.

Added by Ralph Thomas on 25 January 2011.

I worked on magnus in 1986 for a company called Altro Flooring installing non slip flooring in the kitchen and large freezers and remember on one trip part of one of the silencers on the exhaust tower blew showering red hot bits of metal everywhere, great fun. Does anyone remember a chef on board called Angus? I think he came from Skye and a funnier (ha ha) person I have yet to meet.

Added by Andy Collins on 29 January 2011.

Hi, not sure if anyone will remember my Dad Michael Anderson? I believe he was on the commissioning / electrical side of things in the hook up stage. I've seen many photos of his time on the Magnus & he talks fondly of it & indeed his many years offshore.

Added by Neil Anderson on 30 January 2011.

Hello Neil. Show your dad the comments directly above, dated the 24th and 30th December. Just to be sure if its the same lad, ask dad if he refused to cross a picket line at Newcastle airport outward bound for the Claymore in about 1978 and got hauled into the office where him and another guy (me) got the sack. Hell of a story, this!! Also, did his car get squashed by a falling wall at William Press, Wallsend? I think it was a Singer?/Sunbeam? and I seem to recall that it was your grandad's. By the way, if he's the same lad I think he is, I can tell you that he was a very pleasant and popular guy. Trouble is, this site just doesn't seem to be very well known. I have a lot of postings under Claymore, Magnus, Murchison, Brae B and others, and I only found it by a fluke just before xmas.

Added by Alan Clark (Oilslick) on 31 January 2011.

Hi Alan, my Dad was at William Press but he had a Vauxhall Viva at the time & it didn't get crushed! He did not work on the Claymore but mentioned a few names you might remember Pat Swift, Bill Moreland, Bill Irvine & Billy Guttson on the BP pre commissioning team?

Added by Neil Anderson on 01 February 2011.

Well after reading some of the comments above, yes I certainly remember some of the names. Can anybody remember the motor bike that was restored on the platform and then taken round Scotland for the SRSCC? Sadly some of the original crew have passed away but I still keep in contact with a few of the old boys. Luke Lewis is still building up his weight, Peter Stewart is keepng well, Derek Lloyd is also keeping well. Chris Brown is not to good these days but me, I'm still in good shape.

Added by Mike Jones (OME) on 01 February 2011.

I worked on the Magnus a few times, the coldest place on earth, as I remember.

Added by Kevin Henson on 04 February 2011.

I worked on the Magnus as a welder for Grootcon, could have stayed on it forever, good times.

Added by Bankok Dave on 02 April 2011.

Hi I worked on the Magnus on the hook up in 1982 but remember Bill Moreland from the villages field and Billy Irvine from the North West Hutton.

Added by Davymcleod1@googlemail.com on 07 April 2011.

I remember the motorbike that was restored on Magnus around 1986/87 glad to hear it made the trip round Scotland, what make was it? Also remember some mucky weather on December - '86 didn't one of the windows in the canteen get blown in or smashed by what must have been a huge swell?

Added by Andy Collins on 09 April 2011.

^^^^ Nope, the canteen, or mess hall is on level 6! The level 1 accommodation did get washed out that time, plus a lifeboat got smashed up through a davit I heard, few years ago now

Added by Ally on 27 April 2011.

Yes I remember the motor bike, I machined the parts that were unredeemable along with Kevin O'Neil.

Added by George Sherwood on 26 June 2011.

The Magnus has plenty life left in it yet, in fact we just renewed the top of the flare tower and installed new cranes. New DCS next year and Brisco panel replacement. Speculation that we will get tie backs from another field and a recent 4d survey rumours of another field below the existing reservoir. 2050?

Added by Magnus Operations on 29 October 2011.

This was my first place offshore. I worked on the flotel Polycastle during the hook up. One man killed, one fell down 8 floors and was killed, one fell into water was picked up by us and one died in a cabin at Polycastle. I am still offshore working for Statoil at the Statfjord C plattform

Added by Thore Grøsle on 06 November 2011.

I was a Nigg Apprentice during the Magnus build, It was an awesome sight to behold when built. Any other Nigg Apprentice's out there ?

Added by Sandy Urquhart on 20 November 2011.

Pfff.. I've got some good old memories. I started as a roustabout, and worked my way up till derrickman.

Damn it was sometime cold on that platform!. The only place than (for us drilling personal) to get some heat was in the pit/pump room.
I hated the chinook's :-(

Added by Noel Dutchman on 12 December 2011.

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