Borr Drilling Limited said three bodies were located inside the wreck of its Prospector 5 rig off Gabon, as recovery work proceeds and the search for two people continues after the sinking disrupted offshore drilling plans.
Of the 115 people aboard, 110 have returned ashore and are receiving accommodation and care in Gabon, Borr said. The update follows EconoTimes’ earlier report on the sinking, which said five people were unaccounted for.
Agence Gabonaise de Presse reported that the Gabonese Navy said the three bodies were found inside the submerged wreck on Oct. 28 and could not be identified from remotely operated vehicle images.
The rig had been contracted to support BW Energy’s offshore operations. Its loss delayed the company’s MaBoMo Phase 2 drilling program. BW Energy said it is reviewing the schedule and possible effects on its 2027 production outlook. It also suspended its 2026 capital expenditure guidance of $600 million to $650 million as it adjusts planned wells. Production at MaBoMo has resumed. BW Energy said it would update the market on drilling timing once its revised well plan was in place.
Borr’s preliminary account placed a punch-through during preload activities before the rig lost stability and sank on Oct. 24. Gabon’s government has ordered an investigation into the incident. The rig carried about 280 cubic meters of marine diesel, and Borr said it was working with BW Energy and local authorities to limit environmental effects. The government said it had observed no hydrocarbon pollution as of Oct. 25.
