an oil rig (= platform) in the North Sea which exploded and caught fire in 1988, causing the deaths of 167 people. As a result of this disaster, rules concerning safety on oil rigs were changed.
PIPER ALPHA
Meaning of PIPER ALPHA in English
Oxford guide to British and American culture English vocabulary. Руководство по британской и американской культуре, Оксфордский английский словарь. 2005