We wrote recently about a sunken ship in Canada that was found to be leaking oil, and the ROV that was used to safely and efficiently seal the leaks. Now, an offshore drilling rig was also found to have a leak, causing the apparatus to begin tilting before those on board were evacuated.
The Island Innovator rig was located off the coast of Oslo, Norway, and tilted up to four degrees on Friday, May 31. Of the 100 workers who were on board, 63 were taken off the rig, according to the Wall Street Journal. Gisle Johanson, the head of Odfjell Drilling—the company that operates the rig—said that the leak on the rig caused seawater to enter the pump room, causing the rig to tilt. The leak has since been sealed. The incident caused one injury and no fatalities.
"The Island Innovator—owned by Stavanger-based Marine Accurate Well ASA—arrived at Bergen Group's yard at Hanoytangen outside of Bergen from the Cosco yard in China where it was built," the Journal wrote. "After some additional work and testing, the rig was supposed to head for the North Sea, to drill for Lundin Petroleum AB (LUPE.SK) at the giant Johan Sverdrup discovery."
This is the third time this year a rig has tilted in this way. For an offshore drilling manager, having the best oilfield insurance is vital to keeping equipment safe and secure. In such a dangerous industry, having proper insurance can keep equipment in good shape while protecting those on board.