Oil Rig Collapse, Kill One, Three Missing In Delta

One person has been confirmed dead, while three others have been declared missing following the collapse of a majestic rig in Delta State.

In the early hours of Tuesday, a swamp drilling rig, operated by Nigerian oil firm Depthwize and contracted by the Seplat/Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited joint venture, accidentally collapsed.

It was gathered that the rig was in transit to its intended drilling site at Ovhor in Delta State when the collapse occurred.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, Seplat Energy Plc confirmed the incident, stating that 92 out of the 96-member crew were safely accounted for. Mr Roger Brown, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, stated.

Seplat Energy regrets to announce a serious incident on the Depthwise swamp drilling rig “Majestic” in the early hours of this morning.

Seplat as the operator of the SEPLAT/NNPCL joint venture contracted the rig. It was in transit to its planned drilling location at Ovhor in Delta State when it capsized.

“92 of the 96-member crew are accounted for and safe. However, tragically one fatality occurred during the incident, while three other rig personnel are still missing.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the crew member who sadly lost his life and the three crew members who are still missing at the time of this report.

“Our emergency response and rescue efforts working alongside the rig owner and the authorities have been activated and are onsite. Our utmost priority will continue to be the safety and wellbeing of all the affected personnel and their families.

“We will provide further details as our understanding of the incident develops. A detailed investigation into the cause of the accident will follow.”