Salvage experts have said they will try to refloat at high tide a 17,000-tonne oil rig that has been stranded on the coast of the Isle of Lewis for two weeks.
The semi-submersible rig Transocean Winner ran aground close to Dalmore beach near Carloway, Scotland, on 8 August. It was being towed from Norway to Malta when a towline snapped in rough seas.
If the planned refloat on Monday night is successful, the rig will be towed around the north of Lewis to Broad bay on the east coast, where it will remain until safely transportable to a repair facility.
Hugh Shaw, the secretary of state’s representative for maritime salvage and intervention, said: “Good progress is being made in this operation. The plans for the refloat are in place, although this is dependent on the salvage team being able to recover enough buoyancy to enable the rig to refloat safely.”
The platform was carrying 280 tonnes of diesel when it ran aground. Experts believe that two of the four storage tanks were damaged when the rig hit rocks, with a potential loss of 53 tonnes of fuel. But there has been no sign of an oil slick or any reports of pollution.
Work to transfer the remaining diesel into undamaged tanks began on Thursday. On Sunday, oil company Transocean said 200 tonnes had been successfully transferred from the rig on to a supply vessel.
The Marine Conservation Society is sending verification aircraft to fly over the rig and surrounding area to check for leakage.
At a public meeting on Thursday evening near the site, Transocean representatives apologised to the local community and assured islanders that no trace of the rig would be left when the salvage operation, which will include a sweep of the seabed, is complete.
