Birds migrating across the North Sea will frequently be drawn to oil platforms and/or ships/boats, especially if they are exhausted.
Many of the birds that land on these will be so exhausted that they are near death, and if there was nowhere for them to land they would have eventually 'ditched' into the ocean and died anyway. The opportunity to land and rest for a while may make the difference between life and death for some individuals, but some will unfortunately die anyway.
The crows that you mention may have been drawn to the platform because they were tired, and have stayed for a while because (unlike most other migrants) they are able to find food on the platform which will allow them to build up their strength before the urge to migrate returns and they continue on their way. Migrant raptors have also been known to take up temporary residence on oil platforms (like the crows, they can feed on the smaller migrants).
It may be distressing for people on oil platforms to see so many dead and dying birds, but as I've said, almost all of these would unfortunately die anyway if the oil platforms weren't there - it just wouldn't be noticed.
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I reckon Roy's reply sums it up very well,I think some rigs even have their own bird club.We have seen similar on a couple of occasions when we've been on a cruise ship,once was a Meadow Pipit and the other was a Blackbird.Both occasions were in the North Sea and the birds seemed to leave successfully.
Pete
Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can
It is a terrible shame to see. Im surprised the RSPB hasnt got together with the oul companies to install feeding / watering stations, it wouldnt be difficult to achieve and would stop the needless death of many many birds.