Borr Drilling Rig Sinks Off Gabon, Five Unaccounted For

Borr Drilling’s Prospector 5 rig sank offshore Gabon during preparations for a drilling campaign, leaving five of the 115 people aboard unaccounted for in the company’s latest update. Borr said 110 people had been accounted for and were being brought ashore for care. Search operations continued on October 26. The status of the five people remained disputed in reports published on October 25 and 26. Borr’s Monday update continued to list all five as unaccounted for and did not confirm a death. Reuters, citing people familiar with the incident, reported that one worker had died and four were missing. A petroleum employees’ union official separately said an Indian national had been found dead. Gabonese authorities had not confirmed a death in the statements cited in the reports. The rig sank on October 24 while undergoing preparations for a planned drilling campaign for BW Energy. Borr described the preliminary cause as a punch-through during preloading, which led to a loss of stability. The company said it was working with authorities and partners to investigate. Gabon’s Ministry of Petroleum and Gas ordered a technical investigation, while search-and-rescue efforts continued....