Gabon rig sinks: three bodies found, two workers still missing
A search is continuing off the coast of Gabon after an offshore drilling rig sank with more than 100 people on board.
The rig, called Prospector 5, went down on the evening of Saturday, 24 October. Three bodies have since been found and two workers are still missing.
What happened
According to its owner, Borr Drilling, the incident happened at about 20:37 local time off Mayumba, in the south of Gabon.
The rig was working in an area known as the Dussafu Marin permit, under contract to the energy company BW Energy.
Borr Drilling said the rig suffered what is known as a “punch through” while it was being prepared on the seabed. This happens when one of the rig’s legs suddenly breaks through a weaker layer of seabed. The rig then lost its stability and sank.
The people on board
There were 115 people on the rig. Of these, 110 were brought safely to shore.
Five people were initially reported missing. On 28 October, an underwater robot, known as an ROV, found three bodies inside the wreck, Borr Drilling said in an update on 29 October. The search for the other two is continuing.
Gabon’s government has set up a crisis cell to coordinate the response, according to the state news agency AGP.
BW Energy operates the Dussafu oil field off southern Gabon. Offshore oil is one of the country’s most important industries.
Worries about the environment
The rig was carrying about 280 cubic metres of marine diesel. So far, the company says no leak has been seen.
The area is close to Mayumba National Park, a protected coastline known for its beaches and marine life. Officials will be watching closely for any signs of pollution.
What is a jack-up rig?
A jack-up rig is a floating platform with long legs. When it reaches its work site, the legs are lowered to the seabed. The platform is then lifted above the waves.
- The legs rest directly on the sea floor
- Before work starts, weight is added in a step called “preloading”
- This tests whether the seabed is firm enough
If the ground under one leg gives way, the whole platform can tip. That is what Borr Drilling believes happened here.
Accidents like this are rare, but a punch-through is a known risk for this type of rig. That is why the preloading stage is normally carried out slowly and carefully before any drilling begins.
What comes next
Investigations will now try to work out why the seabed gave way and whether the risk could have been spotted in advance.
We will update this article if Borr Drilling or the Gabonese authorities share more information.
For the families of the missing workers, the wait for news goes on.
Sources
- UNILAD (lead)
- Borr Drilling statement, 25 October
- Borr Drilling update, 29 October
- AGP Gabon
- Reuters (via Internazionale)
Featured image: A jack-up rig of the general type involved (illustrative photo, not the Prospector 5). Photo: Marc Ryckaert / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (cropped and resized). Source
