Prospector 5 Jack-Up Sinks Off Gabon After Preload Punch-Through
Five crew remain unaccounted for after the October 24 preload failure, with search-and-rescue operations under way alongside plans for a technical investigation.
Overview
- Borr Drilling says the Prospector 5 lost stability and sank during preload jacking operations on October 24 while preparing to support BW Energy’s offshore drilling campaign.
- Of 115 people on board, company updates confirm 110 have been brought ashore and accounted for and five remain missing as rescue teams continue searches.
- The company activated its onshore emergency response team and is coordinating air and marine search-and-rescue efforts with BW Energy and Gabonese authorities.
- Borr’s preliminary explanation points to a punch-through of a rig leg into weak seabed strata during preload, a geotechnical failure that can erase needed bearing for a jack-up.
- Borr has contacted families, disclosed the incident under securities rules, and says a formal technical and safety investigation will follow once immediate rescue work concludes.