Coward and Lucas were resting in chamber 2 at a pressure of 9 atm. The connection made by the trunk was kept sealed by a clamp operated by Crammond and Saunders, who were experienced divers. Just prior to the event, decompression chambers 1 and 2 (along with a third chamber which was not in use at the time) were connected via a trunk to a diving bell. The trunk is the section that joins chamber 1 to the diving bell. D1–D4 are divers T1 and T2 are dive tenders. The decompression chamber as seen from above at the moment the accident occurred. They were assisted by two dive tenders, William Crammond (British, 32) and Martin Saunders. Lucas (British, 38), Bjørn Giæver Bergersen (Norwegian, 29) and Truls Hellevik (Norwegian, 34). The divers were Edwin Arthur Coward (British, 35 years old), Roy P.

On Saturday, 5 November 1983, at 4:00 a.m., while drilling in the Frigg gas field in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, four divers were in a diving chamber system on the rig's deck that was connected by a trunk (a short passage) to a diving bell. All crew were evacuated, but six people died when they fell out of their boats. On 1 March 1976, the rig ran aground during transit from a block in the North Sea to Bergen. Hydril 476 mm (18.7 in), 10,000 kPa (1,500 psi)Īccidents and incidents Deep Sea Driller accident Byford Dolphin was able to maneuver with its own engines (to counter drift and ocean currents), but for long-distance relocation, it must be moved by specialist tugboats. As a drilling rig, Byford Dolphin was equipped with advanced drilling equipment and originally met strict levels of certification under Norwegian law, though in later years, banned from Norwegian waters. It had a maximum drilling depth of 6,100 metres (20,000 ft), and it could operate at a water depth of 460 metres (1,500 ft).

īyford Dolphin had a length overall of 108.2 metres (355 ft), breadth of 67.4 metres (221 ft) and depth of 36.6 metres (120 ft). Built as Deep Sea Driller, it was the first-of-class in the highly successful Aker H-3 series, designed by Aker Group completed at the Aker Verdal shipyard in 1974.

Bourbon dolphin event