The Thunder Horse platform was supposed to begin producing in January 2005, but was delayed three years by a string of engineering problems. However, in spite of the thrill of having achieved first oil on June 14, the mood at last week's celebration was sombre.


"It was like a wet fire cracker,'' one employee said. "The table decorations were generic; the sound system poor; the handouts were cheap - leftover water bottles and Timex watches with the Thunder Horse logo; and the noon to 3pm function broke up just after 2pm, when everyone disappeared."

The barbeque was in stark contrast to previous team events, which have featured morale-boosting efforts such as a rousing film and give-away T-shirts bearing the logo "Let the thunder roll".

Dan Replogle, vice-president of Thunder Horse, had sent an e-mail to staff inviting them to celebrate, but adding a note of caution: "We will, undoubtedly, face new challenges in the months ahead," he wrote.

Financial Times