Borr Drilling rig sinks off Gabon, one person dead and four missing

By Gnaneshwar Rajan and Colleen Goko

Oct 25 (Reuters) – 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.

Prospector 5 is located at the Dussafu Marin permit, a licence off the Gabon coast. BW Energy holds a 73.5% working interest in the licence, with Panoro Energy holding 17.5%.

Gabon’s Ministry of Petroleum and Gas said it had activated a crisis unit and ordered the navy to reinforce search and rescue operations at sea. The ministry also ordered a technical investigation, Petroleum and Gas Minister Clotaire Kondja said in a statement.

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 approximately 9:40 p.m. (2040 GMT) 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 Chief Executive Bruno Morand.  

“Our immediate priority is supporting the ongoing search and rescue efforts and the welfare of all personnel involved.”

Panoro Energy said production had been halted, adding that there were no reports of damage or accidental discharges.

No discharge of harmful substances has been observed, the ministry said, adding that pollution-response resources remained deployed to protect the coastline and nearby Mayumba National Park. 

(Reporting by Akanksha Khushi and Gnaneshwar Rajan in BengaluruAdditional reporting by Gerauds Wilfried Obangome and Colleen GokoEditing by William Mallard and David Goodman)