One dead, four missing after Borr Drilling rig sinks off Gabon
Borr Drilling’s Prospector 5 drilling rig sank late on Saturday off the coast of Mayumba, Gabon, killing one worker and leaving four others missing among the 115 people on board, officials and the company said on Sunday.
One of the five initially unaccounted for, an Indian national, has been found dead, according to Sylvain Mayabi Binet, secretary general of the National Organization of Petroleum Employees. The remaining four missing people are three Gabonese nationals and one other expatriate.
Preliminary information indicates that the rig experienced a punch-through event during preload activities, resulting in loss of stability and the subsequent sinking of the rig
The offshore drilling contractor said.
The Prospector 5 oil and gas rig, owned and operated by Borr, is contracted to support BW Energy’s drilling operations off Gabon. The rig had not yet begun drilling.
The crisis unit brings together the ministry, the navy, state oil company Gabon Oil, BW Energy and Borr Drilling, Kondja said.
The accident occurred at about 9.40pm on Saturday in the Dussafu Marin permit area near the Mabomont production facility, the ministry said.
We are deeply concerned for those who remain unaccounted for and everyone affected by this incident
Said Borr Drilling CEO Bruno Morand.