Dramatic footage showing the impact of the hurricane which forced workers to be pulled off their oil platforms has been shot by North Sea staff.
Winds speeds of up to 100 knots – around 115mph – were recorded in the North Sea as Hurricane Xaver battered the UK and Europe.
North Sea helicopters were grounded, rigs shut in and non-essential personnel removed from platforms on both the UK and Norwegian Continental Shelf as waves reached up to 20m in height.
Footage caught by Scots oil worker Michael Fitzpatrick on Statoil’s Oseberg Alpha platform shows the extent of the storm as it hit the rig last night.
Watch the video below
The force of the waves was enough to lift deck grating on the platform, which sits around 140km north-west of Bergen.
Were you offshore during the hurricane? Send us your pictures and videos to info@energyvoice.com