Oil Rig Sinks Off Gabon as Search Continues for Missing Workers

A jack-up drilling rig operated by Borr Drilling sank off the coast of Gabon on Oct. 24, leaving five people missing, according to the company and Gabonese authorities. Of the 115 people aboard the Prospector 5, 110 have been accounted for, and search-and-rescue teams were still working at sea and from the air as of Oct. 26.

Reuters reported that one of the missing workers has been found dead, but that has not been officially confirmed. Production at a nearby oil facility has been shut down, and the sinking raises questions about a drilling program that was about to begin.

What happened to the Prospector 5

The incident occurred at about 8:37 p.m. local time on Oct. 24, OilPrice.com and Marine News Magazine reported. The rig was carrying out preloading and jacking operations ahead of a planned drilling campaign on BW Energy's Dussafu licence offshore Gabon. The rig had not yet started drilling, according to World Oil.

Borr Drilling said preliminary information points to a punch-through event during preload activities. OilPrice.com described this as a situation in which one or more of a jack-up rig's legs suddenly break through weaker seabed sediments, which can cause a rapid loss of stability. The company said the rig lost stability and then sank.

Borr Drilling owns and operates the rig, which was contracted to support BW Energy's offshore drilling in Gabon. According to OilPrice.com and Marine News Magazine, it is a 2014-built Friede & Goldman JU-2000E jack-up designed for water depths of up to 400 feet.

Conflicting reports on the missing and the dead

The casualty count is not settled. Reuters, citing three sources familiar with the incident, reported on Oct. 25 that one missing worker, an Indian national, had been found dead. It said the four still missing include three Gabonese nationals and one other expatriate.

The Gabonese government has not confirmed a death and continues to say five people are missing. Borr Drilling's latest update, issued Oct. 26, also listed five people as unaccounted for and did not confirm any fatalities, according to Marine News Magazine.

The 110 people accounted for were being brought ashore in Gabon, where the company said care and support was being provided. Borr Drilling said it is in contact with the families of the missing.

The response so far

Gabon's Ministry of Petroleum and Gas activated a crisis unit and ordered additional naval support for the search, World Oil reported. The ministry also ordered a technical investigation.

Borr Drilling said its onshore emergency response team is working with BW Energy and local authorities. CEO Bruno Morand said the company is deeply concerned for those unaccounted for and that its priority is supporting the search and the welfare of everyone involved. The company also said it will work with partners and authorities toward a thorough investigation into the cause.

Why it matters: lives at risk and a halted oil field

The most immediate stakes are human: five families are waiting for news, and 110 workers have just been through a rig sinking. The disaster is also an industrial setback for one of BW Energy's key producing assets.

BW Energy confirmed that production at its MaBoMo facility on the Dussafu licence has been shut down. The company described the shutdown as standard procedure during drilling preparations, according to OilPrice.com and Marine News Magazine. World Oil reported the halt as following the incident. All three outlets said no damage to the facility or related equipment had been reported, and no accidental discharge of harmful substances.

The rig was meant to support the next phase of development. Earlier in October, BW Energy announced appraisal results at Dussafu that identified approximately 8 million to 9 million barrels of gross recoverable oil. OilPrice.com reported that the MaBoMo Phase 2 program was expected to add as much as 20,000 barrels per day of gross production at peak rates, with first oil from the new wells targeted for the first quarter of 2027.

BW Energy has not said whether the loss of the rig will delay drilling or affect its production targets. According to OilPrice.com, BW Energy holds a 73.5% operating interest in Dussafu, alongside Panoro Energy with 17.5% and Gabon Oil Company with 9%.

What happens next

Search operations are continuing, and officials have ordered an investigation into why the rig lost stability. The official casualty figures remain subject to confirmation, and the effect on the Dussafu development schedule has not been disclosed.

Around Prague, based on reporting by World Oil, Crude Oil Prices Today | OilPrice.com, Marine News Magazine