MARCEL MBAMALU
Seplat Energy Plc, on Tuesday night, announced a “serious incident” involving one of its oil rigs in Nigeria’s Niger Delta area. The unfortunate incident on the Depth wise swamp drilling rig “Majestic”, according to Chief Executive Officer, Roger Brown, occurred in the early hours of Tuesday.
Prime Business Africa (PBA) reliably gathered that many who were trapped and injured in the Seplat rig collapse have been taken to the hospital. The actual number of casualties was still unclear as of the time of this report.
Seplat as the operator of the SEPLAT/NNPCL joint venture reportedly contracted the rig. It was said to have been in-transit to its planned drilling location at Ovhor in Delta State when it capsized.
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Brown, in a statement shared with Prime Business Africa on Tuesday night said, “92 of the 96-member crew are accounted for and safe.” He, however, disclosed that the tragic incident recorded at least one fatality , while “three other rig personnel are still missing.”
What Seplat Energy’s Roger Brown said – The Full Statement
Incident involving the Majestic rig near Ovhor, Delta State
“Seplat Energy regrets to announce a serious incident on the Depth wise 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.”
Watch a short video of the Seplat Energy Rig (‘Majestic’) collapse in Niger Delta below:
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