Surf's up on the North Sea, and as this video shows, the waves can be big enough to rough up even a large offshore drilling rig. Filmed by James Eaton, an offshore worker on the nearby Lomond Platform, (around 145 miles east of Aberdeen, Scotland), this footage captures the stomach-churning awe of large waves sweeping through the North Sea and crashing into the Borgholm, a rig owned by Dolphin Drilling.
Built in 1975, the 108 meters-long rig houses up to 274 personnel in double berth cabins and drills in waters up to 457 meters deep.
For those working on a North Sea offshore rig, the rough waves can make working conditions all the more harrowing. In September 2014, a man performing routine maintenance on a BP Unity rig died after falling into the sea. The incident came about six months after another worked died after falling from a platform into the North Sea.
The UK's highest oil production was in 1999, when offshore oil production produced 398 million barrels. Since then, oil production has fallen into the biggest decline of any other oil producer in the world, leading to the UK becoming a net importer of crude. Some predict that by 2020, production will fall to one-third of its peak.
Video from BBC News.