In March 1980, what should have been a routine day at the Alexander L. Kielland oil platform in the North Sea ended in tragedy when the entire rig capsized, killing more than 100 people. To commemorate Norway’s worst oil disaster, a memorial was erected along Stavanger’s rugged coastline. Known as Brutt Lenke, the memorial’s centerpiece is a heavy sculpture of three broken chains, overlooking the North Sea, the same waters where the tragedy unfolded in 1980.
By: Omri Westmark
Date: 22:09 08.12.22
Last Update: 22:08 09.02.25
On the evening of March 27, 1980, workers aboard the Alexander L. Kielland offshore rig in the Ekofisk oil field were enjoying their leisure time when they suddenly sensed that something was terribly wrong. Shortly before 6:30 PM, a loud snapping sound echoed through the platform, followed by a violent tremor. Situated in the middle of the North Sea, the massive structure sharply tilted after five of its six anchor cables broke.
Amid heavy rain and mist, the workers desperately tried to escape, but to no avail—most lifeboats could not be detached from the platform’s lowering cables due to the extreme tilt. Less than half an hour after the initial fracture, the sixth and final anchor cable snapped. As a result, the platform capsized almost instantly, claiming the lives of 123 workers out of 212, making it by far the deadliest accident in the history of Norway’s offshore drilling.
In the aftermath of this national tragedy, a full-scale investigation revealed that the disaster was triggered by metal fatigue in one of the struts supporting the platform’s structure. In the years that followed, multiple safety regulations were enacted to ensure such a catastrophe would never happen again.
Nearly six years after the accident, sculptor Johannes Bloch Hellum was commissioned to design the main memorial after winning a nationwide contest that saw participation from 73 artists. Tucked away on a rocky promontory in Smiodden, Stavanger’s westernmost point, the Brutt Lenke memorial consists of three large, interwoven chains and a metal plaque engraved with the names of the 123 victims.
The monument’s name, Brutt Lenke (“A Broken Link” in Norwegian), derives from the sculpture’s fractured chains, and symbolizes the structural failure that led to the rig’s capsizing. Measuring approximately six meters in width and four meters in height, the somber sculpture was inaugurated by then-Crown Prince Harald (now King of Norway since 1991), alongside grieving family members of those who perished in the tragedy.
Interestingly, Brutt Lenke offers not only a glimpse of a dreadful chapter of Norwegian recent history, but also a glut of scenic views dominated by the formidable North Sea and the rugged coastline.
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Omri Westmark
