Ms Fleming, who lives in Durham, said in the wake of the catastrophe families were “pressured” into accepting settlements with “no explanation offered as to how the rig sank” and the “door of power firmly closed to any questions”.

“The Norwegian government made a conscious decision not to do what would naturally and sensibly follow an accident,” Ms Fleming said, adding it did not want to carry out a full investigation as that could affect the industry which provided “wealth and prosperity”.

The Norwegian government has previously apologised for failings in its investigations but in 2021 ruled a fresh inquiry would not yield anything new.

Ms Fleming said she was “grateful” for the “important” new study, adding it may “help in bringing about the truth”.