Prospector 5 sank offshore Gabon on 24 October 2026 during jacking operations, leaving five people unaccounted for after the bore drilling rig gabon incident. The rig was working in preparation for a planned drilling campaign when the sequence unfolded at approximately 20.37 local time.
Of the 115 personnel on board, 110 are safe and accounted for. Those personnel are being brought ashore in Gabon, where care and support is being provided while extensive marine and air search and rescue operations continue.
Bruno Morand on the response
Bruno Morand said, “We are deeply concerned for those who remain unaccounted for and everyone affected by this incident.” He also said, “Our immediate priority is supporting the ongoing search and rescue efforts and the welfare of all personnel involved.” Those remarks place the immediate focus on the missing crew and the wider group that came ashore.
Borr Drilling Limited said preliminary information indicates that Prospector 5 experienced a punch through event during preload activities. That event led to a loss of stability and the rig subsequently sank, even though the exact trigger for the punch through has not been explained. Prospector 5 is a Friede & Goldman JU2000E built in 2014 and owned and operated by Borr Drilling.
Dussafu Marine licence response
BW Energy said the incident occurred on the Dussafu Marine licence offshore Gabon, where Prospector 5 was undertaking jacking operations for a planned drilling campaign. Borr Drilling said its onshore emergency response team continues to work with local authorities and its customer, BW Offshore, while a robust investigation into the cause of the incident is being prepared.
For the families and crews involved, the practical picture is now clear: 110 people have been accounted for, five remain missing, and the search has moved from the rig itself to the waters around it. The unanswered point is the one that will shape the investigation next — what specifically caused the punch through event during preload activities.
