Seplat Energy Plc has disclosed that 92 out of the 96 crew on board its Majestic rig which capsized at Ovhor in Delta State has been accounted for, while four are yet to be found.
The oil company said: “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.”
Seplat’s Chief Executive Officer, Roger Brown, said the company will provide further details as its understanding of the incident develops. He added that a detailed investigation into the cause of the accident will follow.