Three bodies have been found after the Prospector 5 oil drilling rig sank off the coast of Gabon with 115 workers on board. The rig, owned and operated by Borr Drilling Limited, which has a base in Westhill, Aberdeenshire, went down at around 8.35pm on Saturday, October 24.
The disaster triggered an extensive search and rescue mission. Of the 115 people on board, 110 crew members have been confirmed safe, while five were initially unaccounted for. The 110 accounted for have returned ashore in Gabon.
Bodies Located by Underwater Vehicle
On Thursday, it was confirmed that the bodies of three individuals had been located by an underwater remotely operated vehicle, according to STV News. Recovery efforts are underway, and extensive search and rescue efforts continue for the two missing people, the firm said.
The outlet understands that as of earlier this week, four British nationals were being supported by the Foreign Office but no Brits had died.
Company Response and Investigation
Bruno Morand, CEO of Borr Drilling, which owns and operates the rig under contract to BW Energy, said: “We are deeply saddened by this tragic development. Our thoughts are with our colleagues, their families, and loved ones.
“We recognise the extraordinary uncertainty and pain they are facing. Our immediate priority remains supporting the families and the ongoing search, rescue and recovery efforts.”
Borr Drilling previously said the company is in contact with the families of the missing personnel and that their onshore emergency response team continues to work with local authorities to respond to the incident.
A spokesperson added: “The company is working with its partners and authorities to ensure a robust investigation is carried out into the cause of the incident; however, the immediate and overriding priority remains the ongoing search and rescue efforts and doing everything possible to assist the authorities and specialists leading these operations to locate the missing individuals and support those safely accounted for.”
Incident Details and Environmental Measures
The incident took place while the rig was conducting jacking operations offshore Gabon in the Dussafu Marin licence area close to the MaBoMo (alternatively known as Mabomont) production facility in Central Africa. Based on preliminary reports from Borr Drilling, the Prospector 5 rig suffered a punch-through event, where one of its legs unexpectedly penetrated the seabed during preload activities in preparation for a planned drilling campaign.
BW Energy acknowledged the incident saying “the rig experienced a loss of stability and sank,” and that operations at the MaBoMo facility have been halted in line with standard protocol during active drilling preparations.
There were approximately 280 cubic meters of marine diesel fuel onboard at the time of the incident, according to reports. In response, a spokesperson added: “There has been no reported damage to the facility or related equipment, nor any accidental discharge of harmful substances to the sea from the facility”.
Borr Drilling says resources have been mobilised and measures are being taken to mitigate and minimise any environmental impact related to this incident. Family members seeking information or assistance can contact the team in Aberdeenshire at +44 (0)1224 087026.
