The North Sea: Boom, Peak and Afterlife

Gas at Groningen in 1959 hinted at what lay under the region, and Ekofisk in 1969 proved North Sea oil at scale. Forties and Brent made Britain a producer, and Norway built a sovereign wealth fund on Statfjord, Oseberg and Troll.

UK production peaked in 1999 and Norway around the turn of the millennium. Decommissioning now costs tens of billions, while small fields and extensions stretch the afterlife.

The Piper Alpha disaster of 1988 killed 167 men and rewrote offshore safety worldwide..