Medallion commemorating the first oil from the Forties field
AssociatedAssociated with
British Petroleum (BP)
(London, England, founded 1909)
AssociatedAssociated with
Forties Field
(oil platform/field)
Date1975
Object Namemedallion
Mediumsilver
ClassificationsNorth Sea Oil and Gas Industries
Dimensions5.8cm
LocationOn Display - Aberdeen Maritime Museum
Object numberABDMS045619.1
About MeThis silver medal commemorated the Forties Field coming on stream officially. There was great excitement in 1975 when the first oil actually began landing from the North Sea fields, the UK economy was in dire straits after decades of underinvestment and the need to service huge debts to its creditors.It was not unusual at the time to see the Queen or other figures presiding at ceremonies to celebrate the flow of hydrocarbons (and wealth) from the offshore fields as they began production.
This silver medal was made by Algernon Asprey's of London who held the royal warrant for jewellery.
On the reverse it has an inscription stating that the Forties Field was discovered in 1970 and was inaugurated by H M The Queen in November 1975.
The obverse has an image of the field in relation to the mainland, and shows the linking pipeline from the field via St Fergus on the mainland to Grangemouth.
