Photo: Stornoway Seafari
Oil rig removal operation called off
1 October 2016
► Rig move is temporarily suspended
Plans to load the stricken Transocean Winner oil rig onto a ship have been called off.
Too high a swell on Saturday created hazardous conditions for the transfer the damaged platform onto the deck of a heavy lift vessel.
The 17,600 tonne rig crashed on the west coast of Lewis eight weeks ago after her towline broke in a storm.
Following her salvage from Dalmore she was towed to Broad Bay on the east side of the island.
It was planned to move her out as deck cargo so the semi-
The rig is destined for scrap yard in Turkey.
The sea is rising and falling up to two metres at the scene, making conditions far too bouncy and unsafe for the transfer of the 17,600 tonne rig onto the ship.
The operation waited in vain for the swell to die down on all day Friday. A temporary suspension was in place overnight due to darkness.
Sea conditions were still poor at the location at dawn and are not likely to improve today.
The oil rig will be detached from four small tugs and rehooked to eight heavy seabed anchors over Saturday and Sunday ahead of a forecast rising winds.