The petroleum industry in Aberdeen began with the discovery of significant

oil deposit A petroleum reservoir or oil and gas reservoir is a subsurface accumulation of hydrocarbons contained in porous or fractured rock formations. Such reservoirs form when kerogen (ancient plant matter) is created in surrounding rock by the presenc ...

s in the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian ...

during the mid-20th century.

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), a ...

became the centre of

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...

industry. With the largest heliport in the world and an important service ship harbour port serving offshore

oil rig {{about, , the mnemonic OIL RIG, Redox An oil rig is any kind of apparatus constructed for oil drilling. Kinds of oil rig include: * Drilling rig, an apparatus for on-land oil drilling * Drillship, a floating apparatus for offshore oil drilling ...

s, Aberdeen is often called the "Oil Capital of Europe". The number of jobs created by the energy industry in and around Aberdeen has been estimated at half a million. Today, reserves are still flowing fast, but it has been estimated that the North Sea is nearing or has even surpassed its peak production rate. As a result, Aberdeen is expected to have to redevelop itself as a research and development hub, rather than a base for offshore drilling, in order to remain home to the multi-national companies that drive its economy. There have been local political attempts to turn Aberdeen's reputation as the "Oil Capital of Europe" into the "Energy Capital of Europe". As of 2013, despite declining North Sea reserves, Aberdeen remained a major world center for undersea petroleum technology. The most severe disaster to occur in the region took place in 1988, when the city was dealt a heavy blow by the loss of 167 men during an explosion and fire aboard an offshore rig, the

Piper Alpha Piper Alpha was an oil platform located in the North Sea approximately north-east of Aberdeen, Scotland. It was operated by Occidental Petroleum (Caledonia) Limited (OPCAL) and began production in 1976, initially as an oil-only platform but la ...

. It remains the world's worst offshore disaster and there is a memorial to the crew in

Hazlehead Park Hazlehead Park is a public park in the Hazlehead area of Aberdeen, Scotland. 180 hectares in size, it was opened to the public in 1920, having formerly been the estate of Hazlehead House, home of William Rose, shipbuilder. It is heavily wooded a ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Petroleum Industry In Aberdeen Economy of Aberdeen