Norwegian oilfield services company Aker Solutions has confirmed its employees were aboard the helicopter which crashed near Bergen, Norway on Friday afternoon.
The company said three employees and a contractor working for the company were on board the helicopter.
There were 13 people on board – two pilots and eleven passengers, on the flight back to land from the Statoil-operated Gullfaks B platform. It seems likely that there were no survivors. Eleven people have been confirmed dead, with search underway for the remaining two. The cause of the crash has not been determined.
“This is a tragic accident and our thoughts are with the families and friends of the deceased,” said Luis Araujo, chief executive officer of Aker Solutions. “Our priority now is to take care of our employees and the families of those who have been affected.”
Aker says the employees worked for Aker Solutions’ maintenance, modifications and operations unit in Norway.
The company has mobilized its emergency response teams in Norway on first news of the incident, and has supplied a telephone number for the next of kin: 800 500 20
According to media reports, Halliburton also had four workers aboard, but there is no official confirmation yet. NRK.no, also reports that Statoil and CHC had 2 employees each aboard the aircraft.
Statoil’s Arne Sigve Nylund, EVP, Development & Production Norway said:
“Today, we have been hit by a terrible tragedy, one of the most severe helicopter accidents in the history of the Norwegian oil industry. It is with great sorrow we have received the message that 13 people have been involved in this accident. More than anything, our thoughts are now with those who have lost their loved ones, and an entire industry extends its sympathy to them.
We will now do everything we can to give them our support and assistance. The deceased were employed in different companies, but they were all on a mission for Statoil.”
Update: 22:25 CET
According to unconfirmed reports, Schlumberger and WelTec also had workers aboard.
Offshore Energy Today Staff