Borr Drilling has confirmed the recovery of a fourth fatality from its sunken Prospector 5 jack-up rig offshore Gabon and appointed an independent investigator to examine the accident, as differing reports have emerged over the status of the final missing worker.
In its 2 November 2026 statement, Borr Drilling said four bodies had been recovered and were being transported to Port-Gentil, Gabon. The contractor reported that search operations were continuing for one person who remained unaccounted for.
However, the Gabonese Press Agency (AGP) reported on 1 November that the fifth and final missing person’s body had been found, bringing the search for missing personnel to an end, according to its account.
The two reports differ on the number of recovered or located victims and the status of the search. Borr Drilling’s 2 November statement did not confirm the fifth reported discovery, and the available information does not reconcile the two accounts.
The latest developments follow the sinking of Prospector 5 on 24 October during preparations for a drilling programme operated by BW Energy at the Dussafu Marine licence.
The rig was carrying 115 personnel at the time of the accident. Of those, 110 survived and returned ashore. On 29 October, Borr Drilling reported that an underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) had located three bodies, with two people still missing at that stage.
The contractor has now engaged an internationally recognised classification society with offshore and maritime accident investigation experience to conduct an independent examination of the incident. The organisation’s identity has not been disclosed.
The investigation will review the evidence surrounding the rig’s loss of stability and consider possible causes before establishing its conclusions. Borr Drilling said it would continue cooperating with the relevant authorities and other parties involved.
Chief executive Bruno Morand said the company remained focused on supporting affected families and personnel and obtaining a comprehensive, independent account of the circumstances of the accident.
Prospector 5 sank at approximately 20:37 local time on 24 October while carrying out jacking operations ahead of a planned drilling campaign. Borr Drilling’s initial report indicated that a punch-through event had occurred during preload activities, followed by a loss of stability.
That preliminary description has not been presented as the final finding of the independent investigation.
The 2014-built Prospector 5 was an F&G JU-2000E jack-up drilling rig, designed for operating water depths of up to 400 feet and maximum drilling depths of 35,000 feet.
Gabonese authorities have also initiated technical and judicial investigations into the accident, according to reporting on the official response.
The loss of the rig has affected BW Energy’s MaBoMo Phase 2 drilling campaign at Dussafu.
In its third-quarter report issued on 29 October, BW Energy confirmed that the incident had delayed the drilling programme and said it was evaluating the implications for its schedule and 2027 production outlook.
The company intends to incorporate the remaining MaBoMo Phase 2 wells into the wider Dussafu drilling programme. A revised timetable for that work has not been announced.
BW Energy also suspended its previous 2026 capital expenditure guidance of USD 600 million to USD 650 million while the drilling programme is being reassessed.
Production at the existing MaBoMo facilities resumed following a precautionary shutdown before the planned drilling activities. BW Energy reported that its production facilities had not been damaged.
The company continues to target production exceeding 100,000 barrels of oil per day in 2028 across its wider portfolio, including developments in Gabon and other countries.
In a separate update on 29 October, Borr Drilling reported that approximately 280 cubic metres of marine diesel had been aboard Prospector 5 at the time of the sinking. The company said response measures were being coordinated with its customer and local authorities to limit potential environmental effects.
The independent investigation has been commissioned, but its findings have not been released. The differing reports concerning the final missing worker also leave the latest confirmed casualty and recovery status requiring clarification from the relevant parties.
