Coastguards send Transocean bill for £400,000 oil rig crash
31 January 2017
The UK coastguard is charging Transocean £400,000 after one of its oil rigs crashed off Lewis.
Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is sending the invoice to oil services giant, Transocean, to cover the emergency and recovery operation launched when the Transocean Winner broke its towline in a storm and ran aground in a storm at Dalmore in August.
Coastguard expenses include organising a rota of teams of personnel, taking in extra coastguard squads from neighbouring islands, supervising the salvage operation and hotel bills for staff drawn into the island.
The use of helicopters and a pollution spotter plane are added in.
A spokeswoman for the MCA said: “The costs for responding to the Transocean Winner incident are in the region of £400,000.”
► Oil rig tug failed to seek shelter in worsening forecast
► Video: Stricken Transocean Winner on Hawk
► Photos of the Transocean Winner oil rig over the Hawk
“It is our intention to recover these costs from Transocean.”
The bill only takes account of the expenses incurred by the coastguard service during the operation and excludes the costs incurred by other public and emergency agencies.
Transocean bosses previously pledged to meet all their obligation over the Transocean Winner accident.
According to the company’s own reports the salvage of the 33-
The oil rig is being chopped up at “blowtorch beach” at an “environmentally friendly” breaking zone in Turkey.
Transocean has donated a £120,000 windfall as a thank you gift to the Hebridean community which helped during the salvage and recovery operation.
► Oil rig tug failed to seek shelter in worsening forecast
► Video: Stricken Transocean Winner on Hawk
► Photos of the Transocean Winner oil rig over the Hawk
