Residents Urged to Stay Clear of Grounded Offshore Rig
Following Monday’s grounding of a giant semi-submersible drilling rig near a beach in the Isle of Lewis in the UK, the coast guard has warned people not to attempt to visit the area.
“Coastguard Rescue Teams and police officers are enforcing restricted access to the site to make sure that specialist equipment can easily get to the scene,” the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said in a statement on Monday.
The rig was under tow, reportedly on its way to Malta, when strong winds broke the tow line and blew the rig aground in Scotland. branch and the SOSREP have both been monitoring the situation. There is 280mt of diesel on board and this situation is being monitored but it’s believed the pollution risk is low, the MCA said.
Mark Rodaway UK Coastguard Commander said: “We understand that this incident is of interest to people living in the area, but we’re really asking them to stay away to ensure easy access for emergency services and salvors. Also, the last thing we want is for people to be injured or worse trying to get a closer look on remote cliff paths.”
The 1983-built Transocean Winner had been on a contract with Marathon Oil. The contract expired in July 2016, and according to unconfirmed reports, the rig is expected to be scrapped.
