Article reprinted with permission from iBergen.no/Internet News (www.ibergen.no).

- This was a fantastic experience, exclaimed Katie Melua after Sunday’s safety course at Nutec in Bergen.

The Russian-born star left Flesland at 6pm on Sunday and is now on the Troll A-platform in the North Sea, where she is going to hold a concert on Monday.  But before she left, she – like everyone else – had to complete an extensive safety course.

Melua arrived at the Falck Nutec installation at Gravdal in Bergen on Sunday morning.  The superstar had indicated beforehand that she did not want to talk to the media before the safety course and was, according to sources, a little bit nervous about what she was about to go through.  

Underwater Helicopter Flip

Maybe that’s not so strange.  Just listen:

- Melua had to go through a fall with a free-fall lifeboat and helicopter underwater escape training, tells Eli Rye, Statoil’s Information Consultant.

The course is mandatory for everyone staying overnight on a platform in the North Sea, like Melua has requested.  Day visitors often receive a dispensation and get away with not taking the course. 

Still, it was child’s play for the fearless pop star.

- Everything went really well, and Melua did fantastically throughout the entire course, says, Rye at Statoil to iBergen.no.

The Deepest Concert Ever

Geir Amland, Director of Operations for the Troll field really appreciates that the tough singing star agreed to go through the course and perform on the platform.  The concert itself will take place on the Troll A platform, in one of the platform’s five legs – or shafts, as they’re called in the industry – 303 metres below sea level.

This concert makes Melua a world record holder.  No one else has held a concert so far below sea level before and representatives from the Guinness Book of World Records will be in attendance to verify the record. 

This is some special concert, for about 20 people, on the occasion of the ten-year anniversary of the Statoil installation on the Troll field. 

– We are very happy that Katie Melua wanted to be a part of this.  It will be a totally unique concert, says Geir Amland, Director of Operations for the Troll field.

To be shown on NRK

The concert will be filmed by NRK, for a documentary about the stunt at the bottom of the North Sea.  The documentary will most likely also be sold to and shown in other countries. 

Article by: Roy Hilmar Svendsen
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

----

Facts about the Basic Safety Course

In order to work offshore, you have to have completed and passed the OLF Basic Safety Course (BSC).  The BSC is comprised of a theoretical e-learning portion that course participants can take via Trainingportal.no, as well as a practical portion to be completed at a safety centre authorised by the Norwegian Oil Industry Association (OLF).