The bodies of three individuals were discovered after the sinking of the Prospector 5 rig owned by Borr Drilling on October 24 off the coast of Gabon. Currently, efforts to find two other individuals who are still missing are ongoing.
Details of the Incident and Search Operations
A remotely operated underwater vehicle was able to locate the bodies during the search operations. Recovery efforts are underway, and the search for the remaining two individuals continues. Of the 115 employees who were on board at the time of the rig's sinking, 110 have returned to shore and are currently under care and support in Gabon.
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Borr Drilling's Statement and Impact on Investment Plans
Bruno Mouro, CEO of Borr Drilling, expressed sorrow following the incident and stated that their thoughts are with the colleagues and their families. The Prospector 5 rig was conducting jacking operations prior to the start of a drilling campaign in the Dussafu development owned by BW Energy. Initial findings suggest that the incident was caused by an incursion during pre-loading operations, which led to the loss of the rig's stability.
Borr also announced that at the time of the incident, approximately 280 cubic meters of marine diesel fuel were present on the rig. The company has mobilized the necessary resources in coordination with BW Energy and local authorities to mitigate potential environmental impacts.
Changes in BW Energy's Plans
Following this incident, BW Energy has suspended its investment cost guidance for 2026, which was between $600 million to $650 million, and confirmed that the second phase of the MaBoMo drilling campaign has been delayed. The company is reviewing how to incorporate the remaining wells into the broader Dussafu drilling program and is assessing the impact on its 2027 production outlook. This campaign was expected to add a peak production of up to 20,000 barrels per day.
Production at the MaBoMo facilities, which had been halted prior to this incident as a precaution, resumed on October 28, and BW Energy has reported that no damage has occurred to their production facilities. Karl Arendt, CEO of BW Energy, noted that this incident affects the timing of the production of these barrels, but not their resources.
Despite this disruption, BW Energy has maintained its production target for 2028 at over 100,000 barrels per day.
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