Oil rig inquiry

The owners of a tug towing the Transocean Winner when it crashed in Lewis will be pressed to give an explanation for the accident to a parliamentary inquiry today (Mon).

The UK Parliament’s transport committee has launched a probe into the incident with questions being asked about why the MV Alp Forward was towing the 17,300 tonne structure in a storm.

The committee - made up of six Conservative, four Labour and one SNP MP - is also to look at the government’s controversial axing of a salvage tug service on the west coast of Scotland.

A committee statement said it will “examine the events that lead to the running aground of an offshore drilling platform, the Transocean Winner, on the Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, during its towed voyage from Norway to Malta in August 2016.

“The committee also looks into the subsequent salvage operation and how well the risks of environmental damage were managed.”

The statement added: “The principal purpose of the session is to consider any implications for the Department for Transport/Maritime and Coastguard (MCA) policy, particularly regarding the provision of emergency towing vessels (ETVs) in Scottish waters, including questions about the extent to which ETVs are necessary and whether they should be provided by the public or private sector.”

► Twelve hour timeline of oil rig emergency

Leo Leusink, the operations boss of Dutch-owned shipping operator, ALP Maritime Services, will be quizzed by MPs as a main witness to an evidence-taking session of the committee in London this afternoon.

It is unclear if Mr Luesink will provide a full explanation for why the tug did not seek refuge during the storm or take an alternative route south as an official investigation is being carried out by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB).

MAIB officials questioned the skipper in Stornoway following the incident and interviewed company officials in connection with the incident. Its report is not expected to be published before summer 2017.

Also called to give evidence are people stationed in Lewis for the recovery operation - Dave Walls, Transocean’s operations director; Hugh Shaw, the UK government’s salvage supervisor; and David Wells, chief executive of Aqualis Offshore, who supervised the load-on and load-off transfer of the wreck onto the heavy lift vessel for its final removal.

Alan Massey the chief executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, will also face MPs.

By the end of September, the salvage bill stood around £17 million but this figure could double when the costs of removal, loading onto a heavy lift ship and transportation to Turkey is taken into account.

► Twelve hour timeline of oil rig emergency

MV Alp Forward towing the Transocean Winner

Leo Leusink, operations chief of ALP Maritime Services

Tug boss to give evidence to inquiry into oil rig grounding

21 November 2016

Photo: Jan Berghuis, Captain AHT Kolga