SMIT Salvage to Remove Sunken Rig from Seabed Offshore Angola

SMIT Salvage has been awarded a contract to remove a damaged jack-up drilling rig from the seabed offshore Angola.

Including the award of this contract, SMIT Salvage, a subsidiary of Boskalis, has acquired approximately USD 70 million of work year to date. During its installation near a pigging platform in July 2013, the platform suffered a punch-through and subsequently rolled over and sank to a depth of 30 meters.

This contract follows extensive site surveys and other preparatory activities carried out by a Boskalis survey team and by SMIT Salvage last September.

Related:  Saipem Rig Sinks Offshore Angola. One Person Missing

SMIT Salvage did not state the name of the platform, but it provided sufficient data from which it can be concluded that the platform in question is the Perro Negro 6, owned by Saipem.

The company will remove the hull, legs and other components originating from the jack-up rig for which it will mobilize a diving support vessel, a work barge, anchor handling tugs and specialized equipment. The salvage operation is expected to start in the second quarter of 2014.

Background

The incident, according to Saipem, occurred during the rig positioning on location between the coasts of Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo, in approximately 40 meters of water. 6 crew members have sustained minor injuries. One person of Bulgarian nationality died.

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