The location of Gullfaks placed Bergen at the heart of petroleum operations. Statoil was the first among oil companies to open an operational department in the region. Throughout the 1980s, several oil companies and suppliers established operations in Sandsli, located 17 kilometres outside Bergen city centre. Official opening of the Statoil office at Sandsli took place at November 21 1984.

In the autumn of 1984, two and a half years before production was scheduled to begin on Gullfaks A, Statoil’s new office facilities were ready for occupation. The administrative center for Statoil Bergen was established at Sandsli, 17 kilometers outside the city center.

In September 1985, one year after the new office building at Sandsli was inaugurated, the training center was opened. During its first four years, the center was fully dedicated to training personnel assigned to the Gullfaks platforms. 

On the evening of November 4, 1985, the barge Concem capsized in Gandsfjorden with 22 people on board. Twelve were rescued, while ten lost their lives. Two of the victims were never found.

When Gullfaks A was planned in the early 1980s, one decision stood out as particularly principled: should the platform have single cabins? The choice proved crucial for both well-being and the offshore work environment – and set a new standard for the entire Norwegian continental shelf.

Free fall for two and a half seconds before the boat disappeared beneath the ocean surface. The workers on Gullfaks were the first platform workers to try the free-fall lifeboat. The innovation would later become standard equipment on all platforms on the Norwegian continental shelf.

Gullfaks A was the first platform in Norway where catering personnel were employed directly by the operating company, rather than being hired through an external contractor.

Shift work offshore is a distinctive lifestyle, with its own perks and burdens. The topic has drawn attention from research and other kinds of surveys. Common questions include: How does this type of shift work affect health and life overall—and, not least, which platform is the best place to work?

An offshore platform is like a factory far out at sea - a place where people live several meters above the sea surface, with helicopters as the most common way to get around. To be part of life offshore, you must meet certain requirements.

A platform is like a small, self-contained community. Learning where everything is and how to get there matters - for comfort and for safety.

This is just one of several weather-related questions often asked at the Gullfaks field.

Fishing, working out, strolling around the platform, knitting, reading, shooting pool, or watching a movie? Choosing how to spend your free time offshore isn’t always easy.

In addition to an extensive training room, Gullfaks A is equipped with a small gym where employees can play everything from floorball to football and squash. The gym, known as the “Jøllehallen,” was originally intended to serve as a helicopter hangar.

Alcohol is not allowed offshore, whether on ships, platforms or rigs. Public holidays and festive occasions are therefore usually marked with alcohol free beer. This was - or so people thought - also the case during a 17th of May celebration on the Gullfaks B platform in the early 2000s.

Should food be healthy? Should it be comforting? Do we eat just to be full—or to nourish the soul too? Many questions, and at least one answer: The food is made in the platform kitchen—and partly onshore.

Catering isn’t what it used to be. Maybe it’s become less specialized and more varied. Some would say it’s easier now - but also duller?