Mayumba, Gabon — Borr Drilling’s Prospector 5 jack-up drilling rig sank late on Saturday, October 24, off the coast of Mayumba in southern Gabon after a suspected seabed punch-through during preloading operations.
Of the 115 people on board, 110 were safely accounted for. One worker, an Indian national, has been found dead, and four others remain missing, according to sources familiar with the matter. Gabonese authorities have not officially confirmed the fatality and continue to list five people as missing while search-and-rescue efforts continue.
The incident occurred at approximately 20:37 local time (some official accounts place it near 20:40 or later) in the Dussafu Marin permit area near BW Energy’s MaBoMo (also referred to as Mabomont) production facility. The rig was conducting jacking and preload activities in preparation for a planned drilling campaign and had not yet begun drilling.
Preliminary information from Borr Drilling indicates the rig experienced a punch-through event—one or more of its supporting legs suddenly penetrating weaker seabed sediments—during preload, leading to a rapid loss of stability and the subsequent sinking of the unit.
“We are deeply concerned for those who remain unaccounted for and everyone affected by this incident,” Borr Drilling Chief Executive Bruno Morand said in a company statement. “Our immediate priority is supporting the ongoing search and rescue efforts and the welfare of all personnel involved.”
Borr Drilling, which owns and operates the Prospector 5, activated its onshore emergency response team and is coordinating with local authorities and its customer, BW Energy. The remaining missing personnel include three Gabonese nationals and one other expatriate, sources said.
Gabon’s Ministry of Petroleum and Gas activated a crisis unit involving the ministry, the navy, state oil company Gabon Oil, BW Energy, and Borr Drilling. Petroleum and Gas Minister Clotaire Kondja ordered the navy to reinforce search-and-rescue operations at sea and launched a technical investigation into the accident.
BW Energy, which holds a 73.5% working interest in the Dussafu Marin licence (with Panoro Energy holding 17.5%), said production at the MaBoMo facility was shut in under standard procedures linked to the drilling preparations. The company reported no damage to the facility or related equipment and no accidental discharge of harmful substances into the sea.
The Prospector 5 is a Friede & Goldman JU-2000E self-elevating jack-up built in 2014 by China’s Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding. It is rated for water depths of up to 400 feet (about 120 metres) and drilling depths of up to 35,000 feet. The rig had been mobilizing to support BW Energy’s MaBoMo Phase 2 infill drilling campaign, which includes multiple production wells in the Hibiscus and Hibiscus South fields.
Search-and-rescue operations remained ongoing as of the latest reports on Sunday and Monday. Family members seeking information were directed by Borr Drilling to a dedicated contact line. Further updates are expected as the investigation and recovery efforts progress.
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