Bomb threats to North Sea rigs

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33932, 27 August 1975, Page 15

Bomb threats to North Sea rigs

(New Zealand Press Association—Copyright) GREAT YARMOUTH, August 26. An American gas-rig in the turbulent North Sea was given the all-clear last night, four hours before the threatened deadline for the explosion of an undersea time-bomb.

Royal Navy frogmen and Phillips Petroleum divers had joined the hunt on the huge structure of Arpet Alpha after anonymous telephone warnings that bombs were attached to its legs below the waves. Phillips helicoptered and shipped all the rig’s 67 men back to land from its three platforms 30 miles offshore in the Hewett field, and shut down production. All the men are British. Another American company, the Sante Fe Oil Corporation. which also received bomb threats, ordered the 54 men aboard its rig to make their own search, and continued production. The United States marine construction firm of J. Rav McDermott, which is laying

undersea pipelines, also received a warning, and is checking one of its barges in Dutch waters. The Palestinian Al Fa .th organisation was mentioned in some of the calls, and the Irish Republican Army in others. There was no ransom demand, and the threats were vague.

The Hewe+t field produces gas for British domestic users, hut there was no effect on supplies when production was stooped. The threat to the rigs was the first reported in the North Sea. and highlighted the problems of maintaining these structures, which are being erected in increasing numbers to bring in ghs and oil.