An oil rig in the North Sea, dealing with average waves. The wave that struck the Innovator Rig was much bigger.
Rogue waves are a bit of a mystery. Although sailors have been reporting them for years, it wasn’t until about 20 years ago that any conclusive scientific evidence actually proved their existence. At the end of December, a rogue wave measuring nearly 50 feet smashed into an offshore drilling rig in the North Sea, killing one worker and injuring another.
According to reports, the rig was in the waters off Norway when the wave struck. Although the North Sea is infamous for its ferocious storms, this winter has been even more powerful than usual. The wave struck the accommodation module of the rig, where workers spend their time when not working. “The weather was rough during the accident, with waves as high as 14 meters and wind speed 25 to 30 meters per second,” said Eileen Brundtland, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority. “Strong winds prevented a helicopter from landing on the rig and people had to be lifted.”
Nearly 50 of the 106 workers on the COSL Innovator rig have been evacuated, but drilling was not affected, and there are no reports of any damage to the drilling apparatus.
