Drilling rig sinks off Gabon with 115 people on board

Key Facts

The Prospector 5 drilling rig sank off the Dussafu offshore licence in Gabon after losing stability during jacking operations ahead of a drilling campaign, BW Energy said. There were 115 people on board at the time of the incident. The company said 110 had been safely accounted for, while five remained missing in its update dated 25 October 2026. As of Borr Drilling’s update on 26 October, the company had not confirmed the deaths of any of the five unaccounted-for people. The search for them is therefore at the forefront of the response to the incident, which occurred during preparations for an offshore drilling programme.

BW Energy said the rig sank after losing stability during jacking operations, which take place before planned drilling begins. The company described the incident in its statement by saying, "The rig lost stability and then sank." It said production at the MaBoMo facility was halted in line with usual procedures during the ongoing drilling preparations. It added that no damage had been reported at the facility or to associated equipment. The company also reported no accidental discharge of harmful substances into the sea from the facility.

The incident is linked to the MaBoMo Phase 2 campaign, which began in the third quarter of 2026 and was expected to deliver first production in early 2027, according to BW Energy’s Dussafu operations page. The campaign is targeting the addition of four production wells to the MaBoMo platform. In an update published on 15 October, BW Energy said the campaign could add up to 20,000 barrels per day gross at peak production. Before the incident, the company had announced results from two appraisal wells at Dussafu that supported an estimated total recovery of about 8–9 million barrels. It said the results support two additional production wells, the first of which is to be drilled as part of the ongoing MaBoMo Phase 2 campaign.

These targets underscore the importance of completing the campaign for the production plans announced at MaBoMo, combining four new wells with first production expected in early 2027. BW Energy said drilling preparations were under way when the incident occurred. The company confirmed that production at the MaBoMo facility was halted in line with usual procedures during those preparations. It reported no damage at the facility or to associated equipment, and no harmful discharge into the sea from the facility. BORR shares closed at $4.4 on 23 October, after closing at $4.08 on 22 October, according to EL7 data.