Borr Drilling’s Prospector 5 jack-up rig sank offshore Gabon during preparations for a drilling campaign, with five of the 115 people on board still unaccounted for as search and rescue operations continue.
The incident happened at approximately 20:37 local time on Saturday, October 24, 2026, on the Dussafu Marine licence off Gabon.
Borr Drilling said in its latest update on Monday, October 26, that 110 people had been safely accounted for and were being brought ashore in Gabon.
The company said its emergency response team was working with local authorities, BW Energy and specialist responders to locate the missing personnel.
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What happened to the Borr Drilling rig
The Prospector 5 was conducting jacking operations while being positioned for a planned drilling campaign supporting BW Energy’s operations offshore Gabon.
According to preliminary information from Borr Drilling, the rig experienced a “punch-through” event during preload activities.
That caused the unit to lose stability before it subsequently sank.
A punch-through can occur when one or more legs of a jack-up rig penetrate the seabed unexpectedly during the process of transferring the unit’s weight and load to the ocean floor.
The precise sequence of events has not been established publicly.
Borr Drilling said it was working with partners and authorities to ensure a full investigation into the cause of the incident.
Five people remain unaccounted for
The company’s latest statement did not identify the missing personnel or provide information about their nationalities.
It said the families of those still missing were being contacted and supported.
The 110 people who were accounted for were being taken ashore in Gabon, where care and assistance were being provided.
Search efforts involving marine and air resources remained underway as of Monday morning in the newsroom’s Eastern Time zone.
The number of people still missing remains five in the latest official updates issued by Borr Drilling and BW Energy.
Impact on BW Energy’s Gabon operations
The rig had been contracted to support BW Energy’s MaBoMo Phase 2 drilling programme.
BW Energy said production at the MaBoMo facility was shut down under standard procedures while the incident response was underway.
The company said there was no reported damage to the facility or related equipment.
BW Energy also said there had been no reported accidental discharge of harmful substances into the sea from the facility.
The Prospector 5 had been preparing for drilling and had not yet begun the planned campaign when it sank.
The MaBoMo Phase 2 programme is intended to add four production wells to the MaBoMo platform on the Dussafu licence.
The incident is expected to delay the start of that work while the search, recovery and investigation processes continue.
What happens next
The immediate focus is on finding the five missing personnel and assisting those who survived the incident.
Authorities and the companies involved will also need to secure the site and assess the condition and location of the sunken rig.
A technical investigation is expected to examine the rig’s jacking and preload operations, seabed conditions, equipment performance, weather and operational decisions.
The findings could have implications for the timing of the MaBoMo drilling programme and for other jack-up operations in the region.
Borr Drilling has not announced the financial value of the lost unit or provided a timeline for any recovery operation.
The company’s latest public statement said that supporting the search and rescue response remained its overriding priority.
Further updates are expected from Borr Drilling, BW Energy and relevant authorities as the search continues and more information becomes available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to Borr Drilling’s Prospector 5 rig?
The jack-up rig sank offshore Gabon on October 24, 2026, during jacking and preload operations while being prepared for a drilling campaign.
How many people were on the rig?
There were 115 people on board when the incident occurred.
How many people have been accounted for?
Borr Drilling says 110 people have been safely accounted for and are being brought ashore in Gabon.
How many people are still missing?
Five people remain unaccounted for according to the latest official updates from Borr Drilling and BW Energy.
Was the MaBoMo facility damaged?
BW Energy said there was no reported damage to the MaBoMo facility or related equipment and no reported accidental discharge of harmful substances from the facility.
Fact-Checked: Key facts were checked against the latest Borr Drilling and BW Energy statements issued on October 25 and October 26, 2026.
Disclaimer: The cause of the sinking remains preliminary and may change as search operations and the formal investigation continue.