Transocean Winner Towed off the Rocks
The 17,000t oil rig Transocean Winner that ran aground in the Outer Hebrides has been safely towed off the rocks by two tug boats. The 1983-built Transocean Winner was under tow when it ran into trouble on 7 August after encountering severe weather conditions west of the Isle of Lewis, Scotland. The towline between the rig and its tug was lost during high winds and heavy seas in the early hours of Monday 8 August. The rig grounded with 280 tonnes of diesel on board and two of its four fuel tanks were damaged in the incident. It resulted in the loss of up to 53,000 litres of fuel, most of which is thought to have evaporated. The remaining 200 tonnes of hydrocarbons, mainly diesel oil with small amounts of base oil and brine, were transferred from the rig to the supply vessel Olympic Orion. The Transocean Winner is being transported to Broad Bay where it will stay until it is in stable and fit condition to be moved to a repair facility. Before it ran aground the rig was en route from Norway to Malta for decommissioning.