Scotland residents woke up to the unusual news about a Transocean LTD (NYSE:RIG) oil rig that was blown ashore by a heavy storm on Monday.
The British authorities have launched investigations as to how the 19,000-ton rig known as the Transocean Winner got to the shores of Scotland. Reports claim that the massive oil rig was being towed by a tug boat from the Isle of Lewis. It encountered a heavy storm that caused it to disconnect from the tug but and was eventually blown to the shore. The Transocean Winner belongs to an oil mining company called Transocean LTD which offers offshore drilling services to energy firms.
Fleet tracking data provided by Fleetmon indicates that the rig was leaving Norway and headed for Malta. Fortunately, there were no people on board at the time of the incident and so there were no injuries. The rig was reportedly carrying 280 metric tons of diesel and it hit the shores on the West side of the Isle of Lewis near Carloway. The U.K. Maritime & Coastguard Agency has been following up with the situation and it reported that there is low risk of pollution from the rig. The Scotland police have also been on standby in case anything happens.
Images taken of the grounded rig show that it is in intact condition and no structural damage has been reported. It also appears to have rested in an upright position. However, the authorities are yet to report whether there has been any spillage. Some of the Scotland residents who live nearby claim that they heard a loud back early in the morning as the rig hit the shore.
Transocean LTD is yet to release a statement on the matter. It is also not yet clear whether the company is already working out a plan to remove the rig from the shore and any other efforts to alleviate the potential dangers, particularly spillage. The incident is certainly one of the most unusual ones involving an oil rig.
