Rescue teams have located three bodies in the wreckage of an offshore drilling rig that sank off Gabon’s coast over the weekend, authorities and the rig’s operator said on Thursday, as search operations continued for two missing workers.
The Prospector 5 rig, owned and operated by Borr Drilling, sank on Saturday near the southern coastal town of Mayumba while preparing for an oil and gas drilling campaign operated by BW Energy.
Of the 115 people aboard when the accident occurred, 110 were rescued and have since returned to shore.
Gabonese Navy Chief of Staff Charles Hubert Bekale-Meyong said on national television that three bodies were discovered on Wednesday, leaving two people unaccounted for.
Borr Drilling confirmed the discovery, saying an underwater remotely operated vehicle had located the bodies inside the submerged wreckage.
Recovery operations are under way, while emergency teams continue searching for the remaining missing workers.
The company said preliminary findings indicated that the rig lost stability during preparations for drilling, following an incident in which its support structure penetrated the seabed.
The Prospector 5 had been contracted to support BW Energy’s offshore operations in Gabon’s Dussafu Marine licence area but had not yet begun drilling.
Borr Drilling Chief Executive Bruno Morand expressed condolences to the families of those affected, saying the company’s immediate priorities remained supporting relatives and continuing search and recovery operations.
The accident has also raised concerns about potential marine pollution.
According to Borr Drilling, approximately 280 cubic metres of marine diesel fuel were aboard the rig when it sank.
The company said it was working with BW Energy and Gabonese authorities to deploy resources and take measures aimed at limiting any environmental damage.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the sinking, while emergency teams remain deployed at the accident site.
