‘The Beast’ of the North Slope: Oil rig that toppled over described by someone who helped build it

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) — Construction of the massive land oil drilling rig known as “The Beast” — officially Doyon Rig 26 — was a grueling, 18-month feat of engineering designed to withstand the harshest elements of Alaska’s North Slope, according to one man who worked on the rig.

The oil rig — officially the largest mobile drilling rig in all of North America — lost control and fell to the frozen ground Friday as it was moving along an “ice road,” authorities said. There were no serious injuries reported, although eight people were taken to a medical clinic and later released.

The collapse resulted in a small fire that was quickly put out, authorities said.

Matt Maly, a former contractor who helped assemble the rig, starting from its first truckloads of components, described the project as a monumental effort involving hundreds of shipments from Nisku, Canada, to Deadhorse.

Working 12-hour shifts in a “man camp” environment, crews battled sub-zero temperatures, wind, and mud to piece together what is considered the largest land rig in the world.

The scale of the project required unprecedented logistics; the main trailer alone weighed approximately two million pounds, Maly said, and housed eight massive engines hooked in series.

Specialists from the Arctic were even flown to Canada during the engineering phase to ensure the design was sufficient for the extreme environment.

Maly emphasized that the companies involved went “above and beyond” and over-engineering the structure to accommodate narrow ice roads and weight distribution.

Despite those rigorous safety protocols, the rig fell to the ground during transport.

While Maly was not there for the move, seeing video of the towering structure tipping over sparked a “gut-wrenching fear” for the folks on board.

The video revealed the “The Beast” splitting into two units, the bottom section and the top drilling floor, as it hit the ground, Maly said.

For the crews who viewed the rig as a “skyscraper” in the middle of the tundra, it was a devastating sight.

For the men who spent years building and moving the rig, the loss is more than just financial; it is the end of a project they viewed with immense professional pride.

“It was a sad day,” Maly said, noting that while some support modules might remain, the heart of the drilling unit is now unusable.

He expressed a deep appreciation for the crews who face these hazards daily, noting that every nook and cranny of the rig represented years of hard work.

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