Uche Cecil Izuora
One person has been reported dead and four remain missing after Borr Drilling’s Prospector 5 jackup rig sank offshore Gabon, according to Reuters.
The Gabonese authorities continued to report five people missing as search-and-rescue operations proceeded.
The incident occurred during jacking operations as the rig prepared for a planned drilling campaign in the Dussafu Marin permit area near the MaBoMo production facility.
Borr Drilling said preliminary information indicated that the rig experienced a punch-through event during preload activities, resulting in a loss of stability and the subsequent sinking of the unit.
Reuters, citing sources familiar with the incident, reported that the person found dead was an Indian national.
The four people still missing were reported to include three Gabonese nationals and one other expatriate. Of the 115 personnel aboard the rig, 110 had been accounted for following the incident.
Gabon’s Ministry of Petroleum and Gas activated a crisis unit and ordered additional naval support for search-and-rescue operations.
The ministry also ordered a technical investigation into the incident. Production at the MaBoMo facility was halted following the incident, with no damage to the facility or related equipment, or accidental discharge of harmful substances, reported.
The Prospector 5 is owned and operated by Borr Drilling and was contracted to support BW Energy’s offshore drilling operations in Gabon. The rig had not yet begun drilling.
Borr Drilling CEO Bruno Morand said: “We are deeply concerned for those who remain unaccounted for and everyone affected by this incident. Our immediate priority is supporting the ongoing search and rescue efforts and the welfare of all personnel involved.”