One person has been reported dead and four others remain missing after Borr Drilling’s Prospector 5 jackup rig sank offshore Gabon while preparing for a drilling campaign.
According to Reuters, sources familiar with the incident identified the deceased as an Indian national. The four people still missing were reported to include three Gabonese nationals and another expatriate.
Gabonese authorities, however, continued to list five people as missing as search-and-rescue operations proceeded. Of the 115 personnel aboard the rig, 110 had been accounted for following the incident.
The accident occurred during jacking operations in the Dussafu Marin permit area, near the MaBoMo production facility. The rig had not yet started drilling.
Borr Drilling said preliminary information indicated that the unit experienced a punch-through event during preload activities, causing it to lose stability and subsequently sink.
Gabon’s Ministry of Petroleum and Gas activated a crisis unit and ordered additional naval support for the rescue operation. It also directed that a technical investigation be conducted into the incident.
Production at the nearby MaBoMo facility was halted following the accident. No damage to the facility or related equipment, or accidental discharge of harmful substances, was reported.
The Prospector 5 is owned and operated by Borr Drilling and had been contracted to support BW Energy’s offshore drilling operations in Gabon.
Borr Drilling Chief Executive Officer Bruno Morand said the company’s immediate focus was supporting rescue efforts and the welfare of everyone affected.
“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,” he said.