The owner of an oil rig that ran aground in the Western Isles spent nearly £17m recovering the 17,000-tonne hulk.

The Transocean Winner grounded on Lewis during a storm on August 8 and remained there for two weeks before it was towed free.

It recently arrived in Turkey, where it will be scrapped after being carried more than 3000 miles on the back of a ship.

The operation to recover the rig cost Transocean $21m, according to its latest financial statement.

It was responsible for more than half of the Swiss firm’s lost revenues over the last quarter, which fell from $943m to $903m.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency also intends to recover some of its costs from Transocean, it is understood.

On Thursday, Transocean reported it had cut its operating and maintenance costs by almost $100m over the last quarter.

But it noted: “These decreases were partly offset by $21m related to the grounding, salvage and preparation for recycling of the Transocean Winner.”

The rig was being towed from Norway to Malta when it broke free from the tugboat Alp Forward and crashed into the shore at Dalmore Bay, near Carloway.

Two of its four fuel tanks ruptured in the collision and spilled about 53,000 litres of diesel into the sea.

Most of the pollution is believed to have dispersed harmlessly but the damage suffered by the rig when it grounded meant it was too hazardous to attempt a second tow.

Instead it was carried to Turkey on the back of the 60,000-tonne heavy-lifting vessel OHT Hawk.

Source: stv.tv