1969 Opened first officeBP opened its first office in Aberdeen, employing just 15 people. Today, the company employs almost 4,000 people across the Region. The Aberdeen office remains the headquarters for BP’s North Sea business, covering offshore operations, terminals and pipelines in the UK and Norway.

1967 First gas brought ashoreBP piped the first North Sea gas from the West Sole field to the Easington terminal, on the Yorkshire coast. Built in March 1967, the terminal was the first landing point for all the UK’s natural gas.

1965 Discovered gasWhen BP struck natural gas at West Sole, in the southern North Sea it triggered a revolution that would change the energy landscape of northern Europe. The West Sole field held enough gas to supply the fuel needs of a town of 300,000 and is still producing today.

1964 Awarded first offshore licenceIn September, BP was granted its first UK North Sea licence and began exploration immediately. Since the very early days, BP adopted and developed technology to maximise the Region’s potential. Indeed, the company was one of the first to use two-dimensional seismic imaging to map the Region’s reservoirs.

BP’s first North Sea pipeline being laid, 1966

Sea Gem drill rig was first to discover

natural gas

Sea Quest personnel fly offshore

Seismic survey, 1964

First oil from Sea Quest,

1969

1964 Cassius Clay (a.k.a. Muhammad Ali) becomes World Heavyweight Champion

1965 The compact disc (CD) is invented

1967 The first colour television broadcasts in Europe are made on BBC2

1967 The world’s first cash machine is installed at a Barclays Bank in London

1961 Berlin Wall is built

1969 Neil Armstrong becomes the first man to walk on the moon

Early tragedySea Gem was BP’s first offshore drill rig and its crew was the first to discover natural gas in the North Sea. However, less than a year later, tragedy struck, when part of the structure collapsed, killing 13 of the 32 men onboard. New safety regulations were brought in as a consequence of the accident, including the legal requirement of an offshore installation manager for every platform.

R. GriffithsChesterDe Long

A. EdwardsEdgwareSpinney

C. GoughGrimsbySpinney

I. HodgsonGrimsbySpinney

D. StringfellowCleethorpesSpinney

S. CoullHigh WycombeBP

C A. FoxSussexBP

R S. GibsonDunfermlineBP

D C. HendersonLincolnshireBP

F R. SmithHounslowWimpey

Pierre. BelgiralAbeyronDe Long

C. GreySouth ShieldsMarconi

J P. DailyLanarkDe Long

In honour of the men who died in the Sea Gem disaster on 27 December 1965