Fuel Tanks Breached on Oil Rig Swept Onto Scottish Beach

AN OIL RIG has run aground on the shores of the Isle of Lewis, off the coast of Scotland, after it broke free from a tug in high winds last night.

The more than 19,000-ton drilling rig, Transocean Winner, was being towed west of Scotland’s Isle of Lewis when it was hit by the harsh weather.

The semi-submersible rig came loose from its tug during a towing operation and the severe weather stopped the crew of the Alp Forward from reconnecting the tow line.

According to the BBC, the 17 000 t Transocean Winner has run aground after being blown ashore on the Western Isles.

Hugh Shaw, the Secretary of State’s representative for maritime and salvage, continues to monitor the operations and is maintaining contact with all the key stakeholders, including Transocean, Smit Salvage, the Scottish Environment Group and Western Isles Council.

Salvage teams were winched on board by helicopter on Tuesday to assess the damage but have been unable to return due to the weather.

According to weather.com meteorologist Tom Moore, it is hard to determine how powerful the winds were at the time because there are so few reporting stations in the remote area.

“We’re not going to risk anyone or any craft going in below the rig until we know it’s safe to do so”, he explained.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has begun an inquiry into the incident.

No-one was on board the rig when it grounded near Carloway, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said.

Reports say the rig would have been taken from Malta to Turkey to be scrapped.

The Transocean Winner was under tow by the tug ALP Forward from Norway to Malta when the incident occurred.

Emergency towing vessel Herakles, as well as two other vessels, are on standby at the scene.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has imposed a 300-metre exclusion zone around the site, to prevent onlookers hampering the salvage teams and emergency services, and to stop onlookers venturing onto cliffs close to the beached rig.