Will Coldwell Investigated A Tragic Incident In The Persian Gulf

For The Guardian, Will Coldwell investigated the death of Robbie Robson, an offshore worker who was murdered by a colleague on an oil rig in the Persian Gulf. Coldwell shared with Study Hall how he first learned about the story a year ago and why he wanted to investigate it.

He stated, “It was a shocking, tragic incident and a living nightmare for his family, in particular his partner, Kristie Graham, who has struggled to make sense of how – and why – this happened. At first glance, it seems like a freak occurrence, but the closer you look, the more it reveals about the systemic issues facing the industry, and the challenges many workers are forced to endure.”

He added, “After meeting with Kristie last summer, I began to investigate. It wasn’t easy – the oil and gas sector is notoriously opaque, and many workers fear repercussions if they speak out – but over a period of six months I started to build a clearer picture of what took place on the Seafox Burj, and a sense of some deeper forces at play. Many questions remain, but I am hopeful that the story takes us a step closer to the answers.”

Coldwell’s writing has appeared in The Guardian, Financial Times, 1843 Magazine, and other outlets.