Gabon: Prospector 5 drilling rig sinks off the coast of Mayumba, 110 survivors out of 115 people

The Prospector 5 drilling rig sank on October 24, 2026, around 8:37 p.m. off the coast of Mayumba in southern Gabon: 110 of the 115 people on board were rescued and brought to Port-Gentil by two vessels, reports AllAfrica.

The facility, a jack-up rig owned by the Borr Drilling group, was working on behalf of the Norwegian oil company BW Energy on the Dussafu Marin permit, near the MaBoMo production unit, specifies the specialized site L'EnerGeek. BW Energy holds 73.5% of this license and Panoro Energy 17.5%, according to the same source.

The reports still differ. AllAfrica indicates that five people were missing, including three Gabonese, one Indian, and one Croatian. L'EnerGeek reports for its part that an Indian national was found dead and that four people, including three Gabonese, remained missing. Al Jazeera reported on October 27 that five people were being sought and that search operations were still ongoing.

A sudden sinking of the supports into the seabed

According to initial explanations from the Minister of Petroleum and Gas, Clotaire Kondja, cited by AllAfrica, the rig's supports sank into the seabed during pre-loading and positioning operations, causing a rapid loss of stability. L'EnerGeek identifies the accident as a "punch-through," the sudden sinking of one or more legs into the sediment, a phenomenon that occurs without warning. A technical investigation has been ordered by the ministry to establish the exact circumstances.

Rescue efforts were supported by the Republic of the Congo's navy, and President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema monitored the operation, according to AllAfrica. Borr Drilling CEO Bruno Morand stated that the group's immediate priority was to "support search and rescue efforts."

No major pollution detected, production suspended

No significant hydrocarbon pollution has been detected at this stage, but the area remains under surveillance: approximately 280 m³ of diesel fuel were on board, indicates AllAfrica. Production at the MaBoMo site has been temporarily halted, with no reported damage to infrastructure, according to L'EnerGeek.

Oil accounts for the bulk of Gabon's export revenue, and the Dussafu permit is among its most active offshore projects. The accident serves as a reminder that the value of these deposits relies first and foremost on teams—the majority of whom are Gabonese in this case—working at night several dozen kilometers from the coast. The findings of the technical investigation will determine whether the positioning operations were preceded by sufficient seabed reconnaissance, a central question for the safety of future drilling campaigns in the Gulf of Guinea.