I started working in the North Sea when I was 18. Yes, it was back in 71.
Starting to be long ago by now.
Yeah, and it paid so well.
Two weeks out, and four weeks at home for me.
We had no idea what we entered into.
Zero training. Just follow the yanks.
Go left they said, so we went left.
I remember back then it being a bit dangerous.
But it was a risk we were willing to take.
Or to be exact, we didn't think about it.
Everybody were making money, after all. The entire nation was making money.
But I suppose it's like driving a car.
If you drive way too fast, for way too long, it won't go well.
"Risk of unwanted incidents" as we call it in the oil biz.
(talk and laughter)
- Good morning. - Hi.
- Good morning, Odin. - Have you slept well?
There's coffee on the thermos, if you want.
- Is it good? - Yeah.
- Done - Are you done?
- Where is it? - I don't know. You'll have to look.
This is not the day for a treasure hunt. Check the basement, ok?
- Where is what? - A radiocontrolled car.
What?
- Everything ok? - Yeah.
- Want eggs? - Yeah.
You won't make it under 30 seconds.
If I can't, you can control the music in the car for a month.
- Agreed. - Hell no. A week.
Two weeks. Then you for a month. Two weeks.
- Two weeks. - Yes.
Are you ready? Three, two, one, go.
Five seconds.
Ten.
Cross.
- Twenty. - Halfway.
- Fuck! Damn it! — 27, 28, 29, 30.
What's your thoughts on a manual reset at 1000 meters?
- You raising? - Ok, are you giving up?
I don't give up. I'll make it next time.
- Good evening, guys. - Hello.
- Who's coming to the barbeque? - Oil people.
Nice people. It'll be fun.
- What have you got in the bag? It's heavy. - It's not heavy.
- It weighs 15 kilos. - You've got gamer arms. No muscles.
- Why don't you just move in? - I'm not gonna move in.
- You've been together for a year now. - No, it's been nine months.
- A lot of people move in together that quick. - Not me.
You move in, buy a minivan, -
- and then I have to sit alone programming in the office.
- That won't happen. - So no tiny electric car.
I've got my life, and he's got his. It's working out well.
- Hello. - Hi, Oddvar. New regimen?
Don't leave me standing here by myself, then.
Shall I take it?
- Hi, Arthur. - Hi.
- Ski jumping is my hobby. - Watching ski jumping is your hobby.
Hi, Odin. Auntie get a hug? Please.
Give auntie Vibeke a hug.
— Hi. — Hi.
Look. I'm going to get more beer.
— Hi. — Hi.
(door)
Right. Smart sending you two to fetch beer. Just go on.
- There. Enjoy. - Thanks.
Come on, we'll look after you. Hi!
No! Get lost!
- Nightynight, Odin. - Time for bed.
(wailing)
Good, Arthur! Come!
Is it the skinnydipper?
- Oh no. - You don't look too good.
- I'm so sick. Aren't you? - Not very.
Stian had made breakfast. Egg and bacon.
- Do you want this one? - Oh, thanks.
That bag isn't so bad, is it? (phone ringing)
Does it have everything? Does it have a Cola and a Whopper Cheeseburger then?
Hello?
No, we're at work.
What?
Yeah, but we'll come right away.
Saga called. There's been an accident.
- We're headed out to the heliport now. - What kind of accident?
Take the other softbag.
- Was that all of it? - Yes.
Hi. I'm William Lie.
— Sofia Hartman. - I'm duty manager.
- Hi. William Lie. — Arthur.
- What's happened? Where are we going? - First you will need to sign this.
- What is it? — Non-Disclosure.
Yes, it is a non-disclosure agreement.
Then we are a bit short on time.
Thank you very much. Thank you.
You didn't answer me. What are we doing?
Normand Maximus is waiting for you. I'll contact you when you're out there.
We have a representative on board.
- Have they arrived? - They are situated and ready.
- Berit, are we connected? - On monitor now.
Jasin, can you get the ship on the speaker?
- Hi. That's us done on deck. - They have arrived.
Sofia, it is Berit. Can you hear me?
I have William Lie here. You're on speaker.
Listen. What has happened, is that a rig has sunk.
Probably because of a local subsidence.
Wasn't Ekofisk only about a couple of centimeters a year?
This time the subsidence occurred directly below the platform base.
We have sent you some blueprints. Have you received them?
- We received them, yes. - Can you navigate by them?
- That depends on what we're looking for? - People that are missing.
When a large construction sinks that quickly, -
- we expect there to be air pockets. We have to find out if anybody is alive.
- So we are looking for people? - That is correct
We hope that the robot can get into the construction to look for survivors.
- We'll try. - Thank you.
Control to crane. We are shortly ready for release.
Acknowledged.
Online.
Are we ready? Release in three, two, one.
- Will you record? - Yes. It's recording already.
Activate the mike too.
(underwater sounds)
Heading 45
- I'm trying to find a way in here. - 4 and 45 degrees.
- And 120. Where do you wanna go? - Follow the pipes in.
- Can you see an opening? - There's a channel coming up starboard.
75 meters.
There's a door here.
Are you able to open it?
We'll try.
We can try.
- Jasin, do you have an ID? - I'm on it. Sending now.
Proceeding.
- Now what? - Stay your heading.
Two seconds.
We've got another deceased.
(knocking)
- Did you hear that? - I hear it.
He's alive.
- Let them know one person is alive. - Duty to control.
We have one person alive in an air pocket.
- Berit. - Jasin, contact the standby boat.
- Ask them what they want us to do? - Control to duty.
Hello?
Help! Help!
Hello? I'm alive!
- Get me out of here! Help! - They have to tell us what to do.
We have disturbances on the sonar. What is it?
(gargling and coughing) What is that sound?
(coughing)
Is there a leak? Berit?
We have shut all valves. It's not on our end.
— Help! - What is it?
(coughing)
- Turn the audio off. - Get me out of here!
(crunching and crumbling sounds)
- It's leaking gas! Get Eelie out! — Sofia?
What should I do with this one then?
The rig is leaking gas! You need to get the boat away!
Come on, you have to...
Eight people have been confirmed dead. Our thoughts are with their friends and families.
A rescue operation is still ongoing.
We will return later with further updates. Thank you.
That was secretary of oil and energy, Steinar Skagemo...
- Where are you? - In a corridor. Sixth floor.
— Hi. — Hi.
- Hi. Oh my god. Are you ok? — Mm.
- God. What happened? - I'm ok.
Come here.
Hey...
What happened?
It was so god damn awful.
- Can I stay with you a few days? - Of course.
- Isn't so great being alone... - You can stay with me for as long as you like.
Mm?
Let's go home. Ok?
- We've run a simulation. - Ok?
The rig sunk in two minutes and 47 seconds.
It simply can't have been a subsidence.
Oh my god.
- I couldn't find anybody to take the shift. - That's ok.
- I've got your miniature here. - Yep, that you do.
Hey...
- Hey...
- I love you. - I love you too.
- Ok. — Ok.
Odin, I'm leaving now. If you're saying goodbye, now's the time.
- Can daddy get a hug? Bye! - Bye.
- Bye. Have a good trip!
- Shall we go fix the car? - Yeah.
It will be good.
Do you see that tiny screw? If you just tighten it a little bit.
(phone ringing)
— Hey, Arthur. - You have to get out here.
Ok. What's up?
— Hello. — Hello.
- Did you get reading glasses? - Shut up.
- How did it go with Sofia? - Everything was fine.
- They mentioned a gas explosion? - Yeah, a leak from a well.
- A well? - That's what they're saying
So I don't know. She's fine. She's tough.
- Good. - How is everybody doing?
People talk a bit. A bit shaky, but everything's ok. Of course it is.
- Good. I'll have to make my rounds. - Ok.
- What is up with you? - Me? Nothing.
- Of course there is. I can tell. - I'm looking forward to the rounds.
What is that?
- What? - Sofia and I had a chat.
- She's moving in with me and Odin. - Really? That's great.
- Yeah. - You deserve it.
- A new start. - Yeah, damn, it's a new start.
I was able to retrieve the recording from after the explosion.
This is from the frontal camera. What we saw.
But if I swap to the rear camera...
What? Rewind.
That's no damn well leak.
It just keeps going.
- We'll just wait here. - Yeah.
- Sorry? Lie? - Yeah, ok.
— Hi. — Hi.
I haven't had a break the past 12 hours. Can we talk while I eat?
It's not a well leak.
It is not rare to see migrating gass in the North Sea.
The entire area exploded.
When that much gass surfaces at once, there's something seriously wrong.
And that there can simply not have been a subsidence.
Perhaps we should let other professionals than ourselves be the judge of that.
- Can I borrow that? - Sure.
Thank you very much.
Are you leaving?
There are thousands working out there who has a right to know what's going on.
You've got to say something.
Remember you signed a non-disclosure agreement.
- What did they say? - Er, I don't know.
- Did you show them the clip? - I showed William Lie.
- And what did he say, then? - Not a whole lot.
- He just took the disk and left. - Ok.
That's good I guess. They're looking into it and deciding what to do.
Mm.
- Is the pressure ok? - It was unstable but fine now.
It indicated differential sticking, and we might have a dogleg.
Hi, Gunn.
- Secretary of Oil and Energy Skagemo. - Good morning. Steinar Skagemo.
Thank you for coming here on such short notice.
There has been a dramatic development the last couple of days. William.
The number of fractures and slides has risen.
The platform that sank has been looked into.
We have received video that shows a fracture that's larger -
- than we've ever seen before.
A lot larger. If you look here...
If this is the middle of the fracture, where the extension is greatest, -
- this means that we're talking about a tear that is several kilometers wide.
- Perhaps several miles - Where is this tear originating?
Oddvar?
These are the platforms in the North Sea. This is Storegga.
About 8000 years ago this was the site of a gigantic slide, the Storegga slide.
5000 cubic kilometers of rock, mud and sand displaced.
The slides we've now registered are directly in line with Storegga.
And?
We have long believed that it was a local subsidence.
We no longer believe that. If you will review this video...
- What are we looking at? - A part of a larger slide.
Looking here, you can see the sea-bed disappearing.
The Storegga slide. It has started moving again.
- What kind of magnitude are we talking? - Unfortunately hard to say.
But it could become greater than anything recorded in modern times.
- In an area packed with oil rigs? - And people, yeah.
- Why is this happening now? - We don't know.
Could be a lot of reasons. Climate changes or other factors.
Could even be that we caused this ourselves.
- What is that supposed to mean? - We have drilled thousands of wells.
Drained enormous oil- and gas reservoirs below the seabed.
Punched a lot of holes in that swiss cheese.
- Let's consider the situation we are facing. - We'd love to. What do you suggest?
Stop all work in the area.
Close and secure all wells until we know more.
If we can't close the wells, what will happen?
Look, Skagemo.
That is the casing. It is a sort of holster.
It's secured in the seabed, and the drill goes into it.
If the rig capsizes and pulls the drill out like this, -
- the oil will be freely flowing.
But what kind of magnitude would the spill be?
- Do you remember Deepwater Horizon? - Yes.
That was the size of Denmark, and that was one well. Here there are 350.
(alarm)
We are facing an enormous task.
Nobody have experienced something similar. Nobody have practiced something similar.
The Joint Rescue Centre will coordinate all evacuation, -
- and it is our task to secure and shut down half the North Sea.
In order to be able to do this, -
- closing down all wells and secure all installations, -
- demands that everybody do their very best.
We are short on time, but no panic. Safety is foremost.
All platforms that are on the red list, should be secured and closed down.
- What's happening? - I don't know any more than you.
There's a lot of people evacuating. Renate, would you check that?
I haven't received any more information, but we'll handle it nice and slowly.
Who owns that belt? Ok, put it in one of the boxes.
Which remain? Status of Statfjord A?
- Starting shutdown of Statfjord A. - That is good.
Ok. Good. And Oseberg?
Oseberg A and D are secure. B is almost done.
All crew has been shuttled to Normand Vision and on to Ågotnes.
Get ready, group A. Kjell Are Heiland? Terje Hamar?
Henning Sirnes? And Eva Fjørtoft?
- Good. Follow Renate up on deck. - Come along.
Find out who it is, and send the information to me.
- Valve at Troll, any solution? - Troll A? It is green.
Troll is closed.
- Moving on down the list. - All of Statfjord is green.
(news jingle)
This is P4 news with a news broadcast. Unconfirmed sources report of -
- a major evacuation from oil rigs in the North Sea.
We have not received any confirmation from the industry.
Over to the Joint Rescue Centre at Sola. Major activity is taking place.
All emergency services; ambulance, police and fire rescue is on site.
We can conclude that evacuation protocols -
- and cooperation between departments is working satisfactory.
The operation is of a magnitude we have not previously seen domestically.
There are still error reports at one of the wells at Gullfaks A.
- It's not just a bit delayed? - There's something off with the connection.
Call the platform manager. It's Helseth, isn't it?
Ok, that's us. Group F. We're getting the lights.
Ready? (phone rings)
Ronny Helseth.
Seriously? We're in the middle of an evacuation.
Ok, I'll see what I can do.
They can't reach well number 4. They can't shut it off remotely.
We can't leave before it is shut. We were pumping at 100% all night.
- I'm headed down to fix it manually. - Now? You have to look after this group.
I'm going down.
- I'll go down the D-shaft. - Ok, but hurry.
- Hold the bus, will you. - Yeah.
About 4.30 the crew started evacuating.
A little more than 150 on board. Smooth...
The subscriber you are trying to reach is unavailable.
- Status of Gjøa? - Working on the last wells.
- What about the valve at Gullfaks? - It will take a while to get all the way down.
- Stian, the bus has arrived. - Acknowledged. Almost down.
What the hell? Shit!
- We have lost the connection. - With who?
With the entire rig. Everything's down. (alert)
It isn't the only one.
Are, is it down on your end?
- Stian, it's time. Leaving. - Acknowledged.
I'm shutting off the valve now.
(creaking)
(crunch)
(explosion)
Come on! In!
Stian, come on!
Come on! In!
Come on!
You have reached Berit Djuphagen. Leave a message.
This is Sofia Hartman. I've been trying to reach you.
I'm on my way out to you. I'll message you when I'm there.
- We're here to see Berit Djuphagen. - You have an appointment?
We can talk in here.
- Odin, won't you sit? - Yeah.
- I can't reach Stian. — Sofia...
We couldn't close all the wells at Gullfaks remotely, -
- So Stian was sent down to close them manually.
I talked with Ronny now, and they didn't...
Stian was never evacuated.
He sent me a message saying he would be evacuated.
More than 30 platforms have collapsed.
Gullfaks was one of the first who were hit, and a leg was torn off.
Stian was down there.
I have to get an overview over the lifeboats that are still out there.
Stian Birkeland is still out on Gullfaks A.
- You have to get somebody out there to pick him up. - That there is Gullfaks A.
It has status red. It has lost a leg and is standing at the edge of a slide.
It can at any point tip over and sink. I am sorry.
But you sent him down there. So you have to get him back up.
I have to ask you to leave.
No.
No, I am not going anywhere until you have retrieved him!
I can't send out an emergency crew who will also risk losing their lives.
Outside there is a little boy who is going to lose his father.
- Would you get the guard? - Aren't you gonna do anything?
Huh? Perhaps you should go out there and tell that little boy -
- that none of you will do anything to save his father.
I won't do it.
Sofia.
No.
How is that link going?
Did anything happen to daddy?
Yes.
In a way.
- Would you wait here a little? — Yeah.
Ok. See you soon.
You have cameras everywhere on the platforms?
- Yes, in most rooms. - Show me the images.
— Sofia. - I will see them. Now.
We don't have cameras in all technical rooms. I'll fast forward.
— No! — Sofia ...
He wrote to me that he would be evacuated.
Berit?
Look at this.
Huh?
There's a hatch in to a service shaft that's been opened.
What does that mean?
Most likely it was torn up when the platform got hit.
- Could Stian have opened it? - It is unlikely...
- Look out for Odin. — Sofia?
Hi, Vibeke. It's Sofia. You have to help me.
- I just need the mini. - Ok.
- Where do you think he is? - There are passages between the legs.
- Stian's sister will fly me out there. - Honestly, Sofia. Is this legal?
- You both have suits? - It's just me.
- Officially we're on another mission. — Sofia?
- What should I do? - You should not go alone, at least.
Over there is Gullfaks Alfa.
The deck is gone, so we have to lower you down.
I'll go first, then the gear, then I'll help you.
Arthur, it's ok. Don't look down. Keep looking straight ahead.
- Get ready, and be out quick. - Yeah.
We have to continue, before anybody find out we're here.
Just find Stian, ok? Find my brother.
Arthur, it is ok.
- Are you ok? - Yeah.
Ok?
It's here.
Ok.
- We've got to be here. Don't you think? - Yeah.
- There. We'll start the search there. - Ok. Wait a little.
- Come on! — Ok.
And Sofia went out there?
They wouldn't send anybody out.
They didn't want to risk anymore lives.
- So she just left. — Mm.
— Hello, Odin. — Hello.
- How are you doing? - Good.
Can I have a hug?
Hi.
We're going down there.
- We have to drop it. - Can it take it, then?
It has to.
Ready?
Three, two... one.
NO CONNECTION
We're up. Looks like everything's working.
Turn on the thermal camera.
I'll go in between the pipes here.
He's alive!
(crunch)
Oddvar.
- It's not possible. - The images are ten minutes old.
The slide has torn up all of our seabed installations.
The black here is spillage.
And the wind direction is unfavorable. The oil is headed towards the coast.
How much?
About 100000 square kilometers, but it is still expanding.
Gunn, what's the worst case scenario?
The entire western coastline will be severely harmed.
All the way from Molde, Ålesund, Bergen Haugesund, Stavanger.
Every fjord, every single little nook.
Birds, fish.
All animal life, nature.
The fish farming industry will be destroyed. All fishing, and tourism.
It will take decades to recover. Perhaps hundreds of years.
And then it will move further south -
— towards Danmark, Tyskland, Nederland, large parts of Great Britain.
It will expand...
But what can we do to limit the impact?
We've contacted NOFO, coastal services, navy and local authorities.
Everybody are on alert, but nobody are sized for something like this.
How much time do we have?
It won't reach land before tomorrow evening, but when it does...
We have a chance.
But then we have to decide now.
It has never been done at such a scale, but right now the spill is compressed.
And the film is thick enough, for now.
Thick enough for what?
To light it on fire.
It is way too large for an in-situ burning. And the environmental impact...
The consequences will be less regardless than what you're outlining now.
That is not a decision I can make.
It's here.
- It's supposed to be here. - Which one?
E601B, there.
Stian?
- Stian? — Sofia?
Sofia!
— Hi. - You're alive.
- Can you get up here? - No.
- I need something to turn with! - Yes.
- Are you injured? - Yes.
- We have to get you up. - Ok.
(crunching)
- Can you find something? - Yeah. Here.
Sofia, we have to get out of here!
Are you ok?
I've talked to the prime minister and the rest of the government.
Let's do it. Light it up.
You can connect here.
- William, picture's up. - Good.
- Are you ok? - I'll call Vibeke.
Sofia?
Ronny?
They will ignite the spill.
- Is Gullfaks... - It's smack in the middle.
Wait here.
- Which floor? - Four.
Stop!
Stop! There're people out there! Sofia Hartman went to Gullfaks A!
(explosion) What was that?
(explosion)
There are people out there!
Fuck.
- She's not answering. - Try duty.
William? It's one Stian Birkeland.
It is William Lie.
It is Stian Birkeland. We are at Gullfaks A. Somebody's got to get us.
Birkeland, listen closely.
What is it?
Stian, what are they saying? What is it?
Stian?
They have bombed the spillage. It's on fire.
It will be here in five minutes.
They can't get us.
Is his son here?
Stian?
Sofia, what do we do?
Stian?
Ok...
(clears throat)
Lifeboats. Are there lifeboats here?
- Life boats! - Down there.
Ok, we have to get down. Come! Arthur!
I'll wait here.
No. I think we have to... go now.
Sofia told us to wait here.
Ok.
Sofia?
- We have to fill it with water. - What?
Sofia, what do we do?
We fill it with water, so we get below the flames.
Ok? Wait here.
Sofia, take this.
Arthur? Catch?
Put it in the boat. I'll get another.
When it's filling with water, you open both valves.
How much should I fill?
Sofia!
- How much? - I don't know.
Arthur, pull it up.
- That? - Yes. Up.
A little bit more. A little bit more.
Ok, that's enough!
- Wait! It's stuck! - It's stuck!
- Come on! - Wait!
- Sofia? Are you ok? - I'm ok. In!
Strap in.
- And now? - Open the red screw.
- This? - Yes. Then pull the release.
- Ok. Are you ready? - Yes.
- Nothing is happening. - Pull again.
- Come on! - Fuck.
- Arthur, did you pull the lever all the way up? - Yes.
One of them is down.
- It has to be up. - Ok.
No, stop!
It'll release at once. You won't make it back.
- No! - No, Arthur!
No, Arthur! Arthur, no!
- No, come back! — Arthur!
No, sit down!
Sit down!
Stian!
Stian. Stian ...
Stian ...
Stian, where's the pump? Stian!
(crunching and crumbling) No!
Ah!
(screams)
No!
(crunching and crumbling)
(weeping)
(powerful crunching and crumbling)
Stian.
Pump... You have to keep pumping.
I have tried. It's not working. Sorry.
Try opening the valve.
The black handle.
Yes! Stian!
It's working.
(phone ringing)
Hello?
- Ronny speaking. - Hi, Ronny. Stian here.
Good to hear your voice. Where are you?
- In a lifeboat outside the rig. - We're coming.
- We'll be there right away. - Ronny?
Is Odin there?
- Yes, hold on a moment. It's for you. — Hello?
Hi, Odin. It's daddy.
Daddy! Are you ok?
I'm ok. Are you ok?
Yeah.
We're coming home now. Sofia too.
(helicopter)
Daddy!
Nearly a full year passed before the smoke was completely gone.
Ten thousand billions in the bank and then nature said enough.
We thought we were an oil nation.
But we are really an ocean nation.
OCR & Translation: ameneon