The 400ft giant which caused a stir when it arrived in Sunderland in 1984

All eyes were on the seas when a giant oil rig arrived in Sunderland 40 years ago.

The first oil rig ever to be brought into the River Wear arrived off Sunderland in 1984 and berthed in the North Dock.

The giant which was a 'first' in Sunderland

Tell us if you watched as the Inter-Ocean II made its slow journey into port.

These Sunderland Echo archive photos show the rig on her journey.

The Sunderland-based Wear Dock Engineering Company, in conjunction with a Scottish company, had won a vital contract to overhaul the rig.

Bosses hoped it could mean a break-through into the offshore drilling industry.

Dozens of jobs were created

The order meant a large number of temporary jobs. Initially the company was recruiting 30 workers, but that was expected to rise considerably when the full extent of the work was known.

Wear Dock Engineering employed 40 people at the time.

Legs which were 411ft long

To give you a scale of the giant structure, the rig Inter-Ocean II was 179 feet long and 150 feet in beam. The hull depth was 20 feet, and its legs were 411 feet long.

She was brought into Wearside on a barge and we want to know if you watched as she arrived.

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