“North Sea Hilton” in place

Norwegian Petroleum Museum

The Polycrown flotel owned by KS Rasmussen Offshore A/S was chartered by the Statfjord licensees as a flotel for the A platform. Its luxurious outfitting earning it the nickname of the “North Sea Hilton”.

— The flotel Polycrown. Photo: Mobil Exploration Norway Inc./Norwegian Petroleum Museum

This semi-submersible unit had been tailored for the assignment and developed jointly by Rasmussen and operator Mobil. Both the latter’s land organisation and union officials offshore were involved in the planning process to identify the most appropriate solutions.

Although accommodation was its primary job, Polycrown was also fitted with its own cranes and space had been allocated for storing equipment as well as for workshops, offices and the like.

The flotel was an Aker H3 2E type. Delivered in May 1984 from Aker Verdal north of Trondheim, it ranked as the largest single contract executed by that yard. Polycrown served at Statfjord A until 2000. Sold to Prosafe in 1999, it was renamed Safe Scandinavia.

Sources:
Blikø, Trond. Aker Verdal 1969-1989 . Verdal 1989.
Seland, Johannes. Poly-flåten gjennom 50 år 1936-1986 . Kristiansand 1987, p 91.
Meni Fokus, May/June 1984. “Polycrown døpt i Verdal” .